Up to this point, the UConn men’s basketball team has looked impressive in Big East play with a 4-1 in-conference record coming into Sunday afternoon. The program extended its winning streak to five following their 80-67 win over the Georgetown Hoyas.
Early on, the Huskies experienced the highs and lows of Big East basketball. This was a major reason why Connecticut only led by nine at the break. They initially were slow out of the gate, turning the ball over eight times in the first half. However, the program had many moments where they thrived on both ends, especially their 7-11 performance from three-point land.
The first 20 minutes were different from previous contests in terms of their high-percentage looks. They were fluid in transition and this was catalyzed by their aggressive defense that fans have been accustomed to all season long. From the first tip to the final whistle, Connecticut put tremendous pressure on Georgetown as they utilized their full-court press defense that often led to a turnover or a poor shot. This allowed UConn to sprint down the court, either taking it coast-to-coast or finding a man standing at the three-point line for an easy three.
The first half on Sunday started as a classic and physical Big East slugfest. This was a reason why Stephon Castle finished the first half 0-3 from the field. While he went to the charity stripe on three separate occasions, two of his misses that did not yield a free throw featured extreme contact from his defender. Many of these physical plays have been called fouls in games past. However, the narrative changed at the tail end of the first 20 minutes. The officials were all of a sudden not letting the conference rivals duke it out. An influx of fouls were called towards the end of the first half and both teams quickly found themselves in foul trouble soon after. UConn finished with 12 first half fouls, while Georgetown had 11. This has been a theme all season long for the Huskies, as the program leads the Big East in committed fouls.
As the 40-31 first half score indicates, the first half was a back-and-forth slugfest. Both teams had their runs, although it was Alex Karaban’s first half performance that put the Huskies over the top. The Massachusetts native finished with 19 points on 6-8 shooting, including 5-6 from beyond the arc.
I think we have to do a lot better job on the boards. We just didn’t finish possessions, so going forward we need to do a better job of that.
Cam Spencer, UConn senior
For the Hoyas, it was the Supreme Cook show in the first half. The New Jersey native went nuclear, scoring 16 points on 4-4 shooting. The 6-foot-9 forward also made his presence felt on the glass, grabbing over half of his team’s first half rebounds. His performance was a large reason why they were in this ballgame as long as they were.
The second half was more or less the same story as the first 20 minutes. However, this time it was the Hoyas fuming at the officials. With six and a half minutes left in the first half, Georgetown’s top scorer, Cook, fouled out. Jayden Epps put together a solid outing with 16 points. However, the Virginia native was much more inefficient than his teammate, finishing 5-19 from the field. Cook’s absence would prove to be the knockout blow that the Huskies needed.
Karaban had one of the most complete performances from any Husky this season, scoring 26 points on 9-13 shooting, including 6-8 from beyond the arc. Despite his impressive performance, Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley noted that it was just another day in the office for the Massachusetts native.
“[Karaban] to me is a player not a lot of people give credit to. He’s as versatile as a player in the country. He can play inside and outside. He is definitely somebody who needs to be accounted for, he was great today. He was a first-round pick today.”
Cam Spencer also had it his way on Sunday with 20 points on 6-9 shooting. The Rutgers transfer played a crucial role in the second half, as his 11 points kept UConn atop. Despite this, a big takeaway from Spencer was his squad’s performance in the rebounding department. The graduate guard noted that this was a crucial piece as to why this game was within single digits.
“I think we have to do a lot better job on the boards,” said Spencer. “We just didn’t finish possessions, so going forward we need to do a better job of that.”
As a unit, Connecticut finished with 33 rebounds to Georgetown’s 31. It should be noted that 7-foot-2 big man Donovan Clingan has been out with an injury, although the team is optimistic that the Bristol native will return soon.
With the combination of their win over Georgetown and the three teams above them losing, the Huskies are in line to be No. 1 in the AP Poll. This is a massive win for a team that came in with a chip on its shoulder being ranked No. 6 in the country despite coming off a national championship. The team accepts all the nuances that come with it, however, it doesn’t change their day-to-day mission: winning basketball games. The Connecticut men return to action this Wednesday against No. 22 Creighton for $2 beer night at Gampel Pavilion.