Allen Fieldhouse is renowned as one of the most difficult places to play in all of college basketball. As tests go for the No. 4 UConn basketball team, they don’t get any tougher. Though the Huskies got shocked a bit early, they did well to maintain their composure. Regardless of the fight they showed in the face of adversity, it was a 69-65 defeat, putting their 13 game win streak to a close.
It’s impossible to tell the story of this game without discussing Tristen Newton. The graduate student put together a Herculean effort, completely shouldering the Husky load. Whenever they needed a shot, Newton was their guy. There were any number of late-clock situations where Newton saved his team, hoisting up crazy shots that managed to find their way through the cup. He finished with 31 points on 6/9 shooting from downtown, easily the best individual performance of his UConn career.
Perhaps more amazing than Newton’s excellence was how absent the rest of the team was. Alex Karaban scored 10 points on 11 shots and no other Husky found their way into double figures. Cam Spencer and Donovan Clingan each sustained their own minor injuries throughout the action but managed to fight through it.
Clingan played fine, but was far from the All-American people expected him to be entering his sophomore season. He notched eight points and collected seven boards but didn’t do enough against Hunter Dickinson. The All-American scored 15 and blocked four shots. It wasn’t Dickinson’s best game, as Clingan’s defense did have an impact on his performance. He still looked the part though, particularly as he hit three of four from long range.
Connecticut got off to about as poor a start as they could have hoped for. Whether it was Kansas scoring at will or Huskies picking up their dribble without any thought of passing or shooting, nothing was going right. This quickly manifested into a 10-0 run for the Jayhawks, who led by 11 early.
Newton was the only one keeping things alive, hitting a pair of late-clock shots to bail out a poor offensive possession. Solomon Ball and Hassan Diarra posted similar bail outs soon after as Kansas poured it on. It didn’t help that Spencer tweaked his ankle and was in and out of the early portion of the game.
The Huskies finally began to find their rhythm after a Karaban three–UConn’s first good look of the night–but it was short lived. KJ Adams’ dunk put the Jayhawks back ahead by double digits and Connecticut got a shot clock violation.
It was impossible for the visitors to gain any ground into the late portions of the half, as every bucket was matched. And those shots were exceptionally difficult to come by. Kansas’ defense was incredible, taking UConn out of everything. The Huskies were really fortunate to head into the locker room down just seven, with many adjustments to make.
As the Jayhawks started the second frame out ice cold, UConn took complete advantage. Donovan Clingan and Spencer each converted on shots and Newton missed a pair from the stripe with the chance to tie the score.
Kansas answered with four straight, but the momentum of the game shifted. Instead of being on their heels, Connecticut seemed to be the side knocking on the door. Newton constantly did everything he could to guide the Huskies, making countless hustle plays and punishing the nylon.
He hit back to back threes to give the Huskies their first and second advantages of the game, with over half his team’s points 30 minutes in. Samson Johnson got involved too, dishing the ball to Diarra for a layup and finishing a monstrous alley-oop from Newton.
Diarra and Johnson, the only two who came off the bench, didn’t play particularly well. They had a few positive moments and added energy, but they were lackluster on the offensive end. The pair, along with the rest of the Huskies not named Newton, will need to do more if they want to win these types of games.
The Jayhawks came roaring back behind their home crowd with a powerful 11-0 run, taking the air out of UConn’s sails. Karaban, who had been largely ineffective, cut the lead to four with a few shots, but then fouled out. Kevin McCullar Jr. hit a massive three from the corner to make the KU lead six and Newton answered with a trio of free throws.
Down three, UConn had the ball and Diarra drove to the hoop. Even though he sustained some contact, the guard had the ball stripped and it bounced out of bounds in favor of the Jayhawks. Kansas had the chance to close it out, but missed three of four free throws. Spencer found a decent look as the seconds waned, but the shot fell short.
All said, it’s encouraging that Connecticut played as poorly as they did and still had the chance to win with one shot. It’s a good omen for the future, but unfortunately for them there aren’t prizes for almost winning close ones.
Things don’t get much easier for the Huskies, who play No. 17 UNC this Tuesday back at Madison Square Garden. There’s a hope they’ll have key G Stephon Castle back for that, who was sorely missed Friday.
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