UConn Hoops: Huskies win 10th straight at Garden, sweep Johnnies
Earlier this season, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino gave the UConn men’s basketball team the ultimate compliment. He said that he doesn’t want to play home matchups versus the Huskies at Madison Square Garden, indicating that it would be preferable to host the game at Carnesecca Arena on campus. Why? That’s because the World’s Most Famous Arena is known as Storrs South in UConn circles. And there’s a good reason why.
Behind a packed house, the top ranked Connecticut squad marched into NYC and emerged with a 77-64 victory. Even though there was a lot of red in the stands, the fans in navy were louder.
The Huskies collected the win without their full squad on the floor too. Alex Karaban, who twisted his ankle during Wednesday’s game against Providence, was sidelined. And their starting and backup centers Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson couldn’t stay out of foul trouble.
“Obviously thrilled with the win, all things considered,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “I didn't think we’d play as tough as we did without Alex. The difference was [that we] outrebounded that team by 15. It speaks to how tough we were. It was an awesome atmosphere. It’s what you hope these St. John’s and UConn games are like moving forward. There are going to be some great battles these next few years.”
Graduate Cam Spencer also spoke to the team’s effort on the glass.
“[St. John’s] is one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the country,” Spencer said. “They play hard, they play a lot of guys that come in and contribute. Offensively we had to adjust a little bit without Alex, but we found our way in the second half. Alex is so crucial for us though, we’re hoping he can get back as soon as possible.”
As for Connecticut’s performance without some of their key players on the court, they had to get creative. They implemented small ball lineups and pushed the pace, with different players picking up the slack in various ways.
“We had to [run small ball] at different points when Donovan was out,” Hurley noted. “[Jaylin Stewart] had to play some center. We have very smart players. The people who are out there are able to self-correct.”
One of the players who stepped up the most was Steph Castle. The freshman is riding a two-game tear, this time scoring 21 points on just 12 attempts. His coming out party was against the Friars, but this game was arguably better. He logged a team-high 39 minutes and played some lockdown defense. Castle playing at the level he is was one of the prerequisites for the Huskies winning a second title. He is, and his draft stock will benefit from that.
“What freshman in the country is playing better than him?” attests Hurley. “Defensively, on the backboard, hitting threes, taking away top players and shutting them down. What freshman is playing better all over the floor and has his team winning?”
The answer may not exist and it’s also difficult to find anyone playing better basketball than Tristen Newton. The National POTY candidate has been thriving this year and had another fantastic afternoon Saturday. He added 18 points, 10 boards and seven dimes, perhaps showing his biggest impact as a rebounder.
With the Huskies going small, Newton was relied on to get on the glass and thrived. And the +15 difference on the boards is a clear mark of success. Not only that, but he also stepped up his vocal leadership on the court with Karaban watching the game from the bench.
“Tristen today was so tough,” Hurley noted. “And engaged. It was his best game communicating. He led huddles. The team was calm.”
Clingan’s game was moderately concerning, as he’s been unable to stay on the court. Thanks to foul trouble the past two times out, the center has been held to a combined 31 minutes. He can’t be so foul-prone if the Huskies want to reach their aspirations, especially if Johnson is also going to pick up so many fouls.
Connecticut got off to a blazing start, largely thanks to Castle. He scored the Huskies’ first five points with a triple and a layup and then the others woke up. Newton and Spencer added jumpers and Clingan punished the rim on a dunk. Before long, UConn led 14-5 with no end to their dominance in sight.
But then it halted. Daniss Jenkins contributed eight of the Johnnies’ 12-2 run and the home side took the lead. The Huskies looked lost as the Red Storm kept pouring it on, up by five with six minutes left in the half.
Johnson finished an alley-oop and Castle slammed a dunk on the break, both courtesy of Newton’s unselfishness. UConn took the lead on a Castle three, but former UConn national champion Nahiem Alleyne got it right back on a jumper before the half ended.
Even as Castle and Spencer each hit shots, St. John’s matched each one. In what was the most eye-popping play of the game, Jenkins was falling out of bounds and hit Chris Ledlum in stride, who flushed home a dunk. Diarra got a pair of nifty layups to go, which took the Huskies up by three.
While Castle was the headliner, Spencer was the leading scorer. He added 17 of his 23 points in the second half, heating up for the first time in a while. He hit a blazing five of seven threes and also went at it on defense, picking up three steals. Spencer’s shooting lull didn’t necessarily hurt the Huskies lately, but if he’s back on track then opponents are in trouble.
“You try not to worry about the shot and you want to see them go in, but you trust the work you put in,” Spencer said. “Luckily they were going in tonight and I just have to stay confident.”
Not only was the game something of a regression to the mean, the graduate also appreciates the bright lights of the Garden.
“I love the bigger crowd and the atmosphere,” Spencer mentioned. “It’s fun to play in.”
Spencer nailed another from downtown and Newton converted on an old fashioned three-point play, headlining an 8-0 streak for Connecticut. With the Johnnies putting up a fight, the Huskies continued to control things. Johnson threw down another dunk before picking up his fourth foul, which stuck him on the bench alongside Clingan, who was in the same boat.
Even without any power forwards or centers, UConn ballooned their lead to 15 after a Spencer triple. Jordan Dingle answered with a pair of jumpers, but a slew of free throws from the Huskies closed the contest out.
Their next chance will be a late-night battle against Butler in Hartford, as they look to complete their third Big East sweep.
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