UConn Hoops: Newton leads Huskies to BET finals bid in shootout
In the past 365 days, it seems like the UConn men’s basketball team has checked off nearly every box that they could have hoped to check off. In April of 2023, they won the National Championship. In November, they won the Empire Classic. Just a few weeks ago, they pulled off a Big East regular season championship after going a historic 18-2. There’s one glaring trophy missing in their cabinet. That’s the Big East Tournament, which the Huskies last won under Jim Calhoun back in 2011 thanks to the help of a junior guard named Kemba Walker.
On Friday, Dan Hurley had the chance to do something he had never done before as a coach: make the finals of the Big East Tournament, giving him a chance to get closer to completing his trophy case. The Huskies’ adversary was 5-seed St. John’s, a team riding a six-game winning streak and have been playing themselves into NCAA tournament lock territory. The Red Storm had a lot more to play for than did the top-seeded Huskies, so this was set to be a high-intensity matchup.
The contest lived up to its billing and more, with the Huskies emerging with a blistering 95-90 victory. Neither team cooled down at any point in the game, leading to the highest scoring BET affair since 2016. Thanks to great nights from their veterans, Connecticut rose above and looked like the best team in the conference.
“Awesome atmosphere,” Hurley said postgame. “Thought it lived up to everything that people hoped for with this game tonight, the emotions, the intensity, the shot making. It was just a fun game to be a part of. Ultimate respect for Coach Pitino, and how good they are in year one. I don't know what seed they'll be, but that's one of the better teams we've played, one of the more talented teams, and clearly an NCAA Tournament team. So thrilled to get the win and excited to get to the championship tomorrow.”
Tristen Newton was the veteran who stepped up the most, torching the defense for 25 points, 9 assists and 6 boards, including 20 in the first half. As the pace picked up early, other Huskies had trouble getting themselves going. Not Newton. He was stellar, doing everything the team needed until the rest of the team began doing their thing.
“Best point guard in the country,” UConn forward Alex Karaban attested of Newton. “You see what he does. No other guard can rebound like him, no other guard wants to create a shot for himself, but it also super unselfish, looking for other guys too. He’s a special player and he’s trying to do everything it takes to win a championship and make the most out of this year.”
A big storyline within the game were the flaring tempers of coaches, especially as it related to fans. One Johnnies fan/booster in particular was jawing at Hurley all night and caused the coach to get a technical foul. He was nearly kicked out of Madison Square Garden before Hurley apparently told security that he should stay. Hurley’s benevolence wasn’t a product of sympathy though.
“I went over there to tell the ushers I wanted him to stay, not because I thought he was a good guy,” Hurley said with a chuckle. “I thought it might be bad luck, karma.”
Another player who is known for showing emotion is Cam Spencer. Unlike his coach, he kept his cool on the floor, but his shot was automatic. The Husky notched 20 points on 4/5 shooting from deep, along with 9 assists. He was a winning player, as he almost always is, and did it without taking much of a breather.
“I mean, as a competitor these are the environments that you want to play in,” Spencer noted. “It's a high-level basketball game, working towards something that we've worked for all year, and it's–the Big East championship is something that we want to go get. Probably one of the highest, I guess, more intense games of this year, and rightfully so.”
A bit of a surprise effort came out of Jaylin Stewart, who has been fighting hard for minutes throughout the season. Friday was arguably his best outing as a Husky, with an important 8 points in the first half on perfect 4/4 shooting. He stepped up big in the moment as the Huskies went with a smaller lineup and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Hurley turn to him more for a spark as the team’s legs get tired.
The man who has kept Stewart off the floor for much of the year has been Alex Karaban, who arguably had a better game. He tallied 9 of his 14 points in the second half, turning it on in important moments. Karaban has been especially effective at MSG this year and this one did not disappoint.
The Huskies got off to a rough start for a third straight game, down by seven before they put a point on the board. It didn’t help the Huskies that Castle was struggling mightily, with two fouls and a missed layup, forcing him out of the game early. He finished with 6 points in 19 minutes.
Karaban and Spencer calmed the storm with a pair of treys, but the Johnnies kept pouring it on to keep the Huskies from pulling closer. That was short lived though, as Hassan Diarra and Clingan combined for seven straight of their own to tie things up.
Clingan didn’t have a great game, largely because his foul trouble limited his minutes so heavily. He recorded 6 points, 5 boards and 4 blocks, which is great on a per 36 minutes basis, but the team would have benefitted from having him out on the court more. Samson Johnson also had some decent production, but was forced out periodically with foul trouble. It’s tough to keep up with a smaller team like the Red Storm, but they will need their big man duo on the court as much as possible as the opposition gets tougher.
In a back and forth stretch, Newton scored seven points in a row for the Huskies, as they tried to build a lead. Helped by a Rick Pitino technical and more scoring from Newton, Connecticut found themselves ahead by 10. Defense was played, but was not terribly effective for the rest of the half, as the Husky lead teetered between five and 10. A mini-spurt by the Red Storm had them down by just five at the break, with the teams totaling 99 points.
St. John’s wasted no time getting right back in things, cutting it to a one-possession game. Before long, the Huskies went on one of their signature runs, rattling off 13 of the next 15 points scored. Johnson’s pair of buckets were big in the streak, but he committed his fourth foul right after. This opened the door for Jordan Dingle to drain two threes and a layup, closing the gap back to seven.
The ensuing minutes saw fast-paced, high-scoring back and forth basketball. Neither team could get a shot without the other answering, as Spencer and Karaban torched the nets. The scoring slowed momentarily as the Johnnies looked to inch closer, narrowing it to six with 35 seconds left. UConn iced things in the free throw game though, ultimately notching a five point triumph.
The Huskies return to MSG for one more on Saturday, with a chance to cut down the nets. They’ll play the winner of Marquette/Providence, both teams they swept in the regular season. If they win, it'll be the third team Connecticut sweeps in three games.
“It’s very tough [to 3-game sweep a team],” Spencer said. “Especially at the end of the year, when you’re trying to end another team’s season or win a Big East championship. Nothing about it is easy, so we gotta come ready to play tomorrow.”
The matchup will tip off at 6:30 p.m. and can be viewed on FOX.
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