Coming off of a monumental 87-76 win at the Jimmy V Classic, the UConn men’s basketball team kept the momentum rolling, this time with a 101-63 blowout win over Arkansas Pine Bluff.
While the final score indicates that the Huskies dominated from start to finish, that wasn’t the case. The season-long woes from downtown continued in the first half of this one as the program went on a cold spell that saw them miss nine straight three-point attempts and many easy layups. Conversely, it seemed like UAPB couldn’t miss, making four of their first nine tries from three. This was a significant part of why the first half saw eight lead changes.
“We missed layups, we missed open threes. You know Cam [Spencer] didn’t have it going yet.” Head Coach Dan Hurley noted postgame of his team’s first-half performance, “Our defense was not the issue today; it just took us a while to get going offensively.”
Alex Karaban struggled initially, sitting for a large portion of the first half due to picking up two fouls early on. Dan Hurley called upon freshman Jaylin Stewart to come in and generate a spark for his side.
Stewart’s excellent performance was a significant reason the Huskies led for nearly 17 minutes in the first half. The 6-foot-7 forward put up seven points on 3-3 shooting in only five minutes of work. His performance should encourage Husky fans, as Stewart has not played in anything besides garbage time up to this point.
“It was good to see [Stewart] give us a lift there, and I think that earns some trust in the staff,” Hurley noted postgame on his performance off the bench. “[Today’s performance] gets him into a position where he can get into the rotation coming out of today.”
The Huskies needed a spark to get them going, and Tristen Newton provided that. With two minutes left in the half, the 6-foot-5 guard had a ferocious putback dunk that catalyzed a 12-2 UConn run to close out the first half and give the Huskies a commanding 45-33 lead. Then, the second half rolled around, and the shots started to fall for the Huskies. This was when they began to pull away from the Golden Lions.
A major change in this team was not only how they shot the rock but also how they performed on the glass. The Huskies outrebounded UAPB by 17 in the second half. This led to many fast-break opportunities for the Huskies to either take it to the rim or run their offense. It was a large reason why Cam Spencer had the performance he did.
Spencer carried over his solid shooting from the Jimmy V Classic, as he finished Saturday with 15 points on 5-6 from three, which included 4-4 from deep in the second half. It’s safe to say that any issues with his shoes or feet are all in the past, as the UConn coaching staff ran the veteran guard for 29 minutes.
While everyone had their moment in the limelight, It was the Karaban show at the Basketball Captial of the World. Despite his initial struggles, the Massachusetts native finished with 26 points on 9-12 shooting. He was also a major reason why the Huskies outrebounded the Golden Lions by 14, grabbing seven boards of his own. His performance is a breath of relief for Husky fans. By no means has Karaban been struggling, but his offensive efficiency in his past three matchups has taken a major dip.
“It felt really good, I’d say. You know, see the ball go in with my shot and just having that confidence back.” Karaban continued postgame of his performance as of late, “I knew eventually I would get out of this slump.”
Playing Stewart more does make sense because Karaban has averaged over 31 minutes a game. With Big East play quickly approaching, having another man to give him a breather occasionally without sacrificing size is a massive plus.
A lone bright spot for the Golden Lions came from Rashad Williams. The veteran guard scored 23 on 7-20 shooting. They shot 40% from three as a team, a solid number that kept them in the game until the Huskies found their stride offensively.
Something that Hurley took away from this one was how Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson failed to make their presence felt on the glass, as the pair of giants combined for 14 boards despite being the tallest players on the court.
The biggest takeaway from this matchup was the second-half performance from downtown by the Huskies. As a unit, they shot 10-16 from beyond the arc, which was a significant reason they outscored UAPB by 26 in the second half.
The Huskies will return to action on Dec. 15 and face No. 7 Gonzaga in the Seattle Tip-Off. If the Huskies can shoot the three-ball anywhere near their efficiency from Saturday, there is no reason to believe they won’t storm into “The Emerald City” and take care of business as they have so many times before.