UConn rebounds with win over No. 15 Florida
Watch more post-game interviews here!
STORRS, Conn. - Four days after being embarrassed on their home floor in a loss to St. Joseph's, the UConn Huskies enjoyed the greatest triumph of their young season - stunning 15th-ranked Florida 62-59 Sunday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd. The last time the Huskies beat a ranked team at Gampel was in 2013, also against Florida, when Shabazz Napier’s buzzer beater sank the then-No. 16 Gators.
Tyler Polley and Christian Vital each scored 15 points to lead the Huskies (2-1) while Josh Carlton added 13 points and floor general Alterique Gilbert had 10, even though he had another off shooting night, going 3-13 from the field including 0-6 from three.
Kerry Blackshear led Florida (2-2) with 15 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 4:36 left in the game.
The Huskies fell behind early 6-0 to the Gators and opened the game 1-for-10 from the field. But Vital scored seven points to fuel an 11-0 run to get UConn back in the game. After Gilbert tied it at 17 with just inside five minutes in the first half, the Huskies never trailed again.
WHAT WENT WELL
The Good Vibes: Coming off one of their worst losses in Hurley’s tenure and playing a team many believe to be one of the most talented in the country, the Huskies could have gone belly up on national TV. Instead, they shook off a slow start, played strong defense throughout and fought their way to a much-needed victory. A strong home crowd helped. They'll be in good spirits heading into the first game of the Charleston Classic, against a solid Buffalo team.
Dan Hurley: “The fans were amazing. They gave us the lift you need when you’re playing at home. You get crowds like that at home whether it’s for Florida or conference games or other non-conference games, it raises your level and that’s why teams that get great crowds play so well at home.”
Christian Vital: “We all fought, everyone stepped up today and if one person didn’t do something that they did today I don’t think we win this game. It was just team, team is the word I got.”
Florida head coach Mike White: “They have tremendous length and speed and they play really hard and they do a good job, so some (of our shots) were rushed. And any time you play on the road of course you are dealing with the stage, 10,000 screaming at you.”
Senior Guard Redemption: The veteran leadership of the Huskies moved on from a rough performance on Wednesday against St. Joe's. Christian Vital keyed an early run with his offense, and resisted trying to do too much like he did on Wednesday night, when he went 5-for-21 from the floor. He hit two foul shots late to give UConn a three-point lead and sealed the victory with a steal with six seconds left. Gilbert had some offensive hiccups but kept the attack flowing throughout and making sure, along with Vital, that others got their shots.
Hurley: “You could just the leadership from Al, the leadership from Christian and just how the way it was going. We were locked in defensively, we were having long positions on offense, we weren’t doing quick shots … we knew we’d be Ok.”
More Hurley: “I'm just so proud of Al and the way that he led. He played like a point guard today and a leader of men. Christian, the same thing.”
Vital: “Well, we first acknowledged that we needed to play better. I think we were 10-for-40, something like that and I was 5-for-21 - that can’t ever happen again and it won’t happen again. Al had a bad game but we have great teammates as well. … We understood we needed to get our teammates involved.”
Polley Feeling It: Hurley wants more out of Tyler Polley and the junior has answered the call, hitting 6-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-8 threes, making some big buckets in the second half. Polley had an eight-point stretch early in the second half that pushed UConn’s lead from 27-26 to 35-29 and forced Florida to call a timeout.
Gilbert: “That’s what he does. In my opinion he’s the best shooter in the country. I tell him that. Coach tells him that and we are going to continue to preach that to him.”
WHAT NEEDS WORK
Weak Start, Again: For second straight game, the Huskies started off cold, not getting their first points until the 14:01 mark of the first half. UConn has been outscored 23-2 in the opening five minutes of the last two games and that’s obviously not a trend they want to continue this season.
Vital: “Fans were standing too long, too long, but we just kept fighting. I think that’s the motto of this team, we’re going to fight, we’re going to be tough and that’s helped us keep that lead today.”
Gilbert: “I’m just happy with how we responded.”
Gilbert's Cold Shooting: Alterique Gilbert’s shot has been in a funk to start the season, but the redshirt junior played hard in other areas against Florida. However, UConn won’t be able to survive the season with Gilbert making just 25 percent (10-for-41) of his shots from the field. To his credit, he hit a few big shots late in the game, and maintained his confidence and composure throughout.
UNSUNG HERO
Junior Isaiah Whaley gave UConn some huge minutes off the bench with seven points, six rebounds and a block in 17 minutes or pure hustle. With Carlton off to a slow start, Whaley jumped right in to tangle with Blackshear and company inside.
Hurley: “Isaiah was really good. He had a great summer, an unsung hero. He was really good defensively. He’s a heck of a ball-screen defender.”
AKOK AKOK WATCH
The freshman big man didn't score, going 0-3 from the field, but still found ways to contribute, as he tied Carlton with a team-high eight rebounds. Two plays stood out in particular - the first came just inside four minutes, with Akok missing his own shot, but racing down court to be in position to grab a rebound off a Keyontae Johnson miss. The next came with 24 seconds left, Akok held Florida to one shot by grabbing a rebound off Andrew Nembhard’s miss, which led to Christian Vital's game-sealing free throws.
MISC. NOTES
Among the guests at the game were 2020 commit Andre Jackson, along with recruiting targets Bristol Central’s Donovan Clingan, Putnam Science Academy’s Juju Murray, and Worcester Academy’s Dasonte Bowen. … Freshman James Bouknight missed his third straight game due to suspension, but is expected to return - pending his court hearing earlier in the week for Thursday’s opener against University at Buffalo in the Charleston Classic. … The Huskies hold a 4-1 all-time lead in the series, including the Huskies’ upset of the Gators in the 2014 Final Four. … Last victory for the Huskies over a ranked team came against then-No. 15 Syracuse last November at MSG.
UP NEXT
At Charleston Classic, vs. University at Buffalo, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
