In one of the most complete performances by the team this season, the UConn men’s basketball team gave the packed XL Center crowd plenty to cheer for in their 99-56 dismantling of the Xavier Musketeers on Sunday.
While the Muskies had given this Connecticut squad plenty of trouble when the reigning national champions traveled to Ohio for a battle at the Cintas Center on Jan. 10, it was complete domination in the second showcase between these two programs. From the tip, UConn scored the first 10 points of the game. Highlighted by an alley-oop slam from Donovan Clingan, who didn’t suit up in the first matchup against Xavier, the Musketeers simply couldn’t keep up with what coach Dan Hurley drew up.
“We were really overwhelmed today from the opening tip to the final buzzer,” said coach Sean Miller following the loss.
From that 10-point run on, the Huskies continued to pour on in the scoring column. A Tristen Newton triple with 12:52 to go gave his squad an 18-5 lead.
On top of an energized offense, fans got to see an incredible defensive performance from this team. For the entirety of the first half, the Muskies shot just 27.6% from the field and just 22 points in total to Connecticut’s 48. It took Sean Miller and Co. over 16 minutes to break into the double-digit scoring column, and you can certainly credit a brilliant defensive effort from this UConn squad for that trouble.
In front of a crowd that featured current New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins and the UConn 2004 National Championship team, the current-day Huskies gave a championship-level effort. Following a small ceremony to induct the 2004 squad into the illustrious Huskies of Honor, it was time for the No. 1 team in the nation to finish the job.
Led by their lead guard in Newton, the program picked up exactly where they left off and didn’t miss a beat. Yet, while there were plenty of dunks, three-pointers and more, the highlight of the day had yet to come.
With 15:46 to go, Connecticut dribbled up the court for another offensive opportunity. As guard Cam Spencer dribbled to the right, he found an open Clingan at the three-point line, and his defender, Sasa Ciani, gave the Huskies big man plenty of room to shoot. Naturally, the Bristol native let it fly, and as the ball soared through the net, the noise levels at the XL Center proceeded to increase dramatically. With the UConn 5’s first three-pointer of his college career, it was now a 61-26 game with everything going the way of the home team.
While Xavier did shoot better in the second half than their woeful 27.6% in the first, it was nowhere near enough to make a dent in Connecticut’s sizable lead. To add a cherry on top of a legendary night, Hurley could play more of his young talent, like Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross for additional minutes, a goal he’s strived to achieve.
While the blowout win was a huge plus for a UConn squad that’s been on fire the past few weeks, it was impossible to miss the 2004 Championship roster that was in attendance, a group that consisted of Emeka Okafor, Charlie Villanueva and even Ben Gordon.
“You just couldn’t lose in front of that group,” said Hurley. “They all addressed the team in the locker room. That was obviously a special group of guys.”
In their win, UConn set a program for threes made in a contest with 17 after Andrew Hurley connected on a triple with under two minutes left. They also achieved their second widest margin of victory in a Big East contest, with the most being a 45-point win over Cinncinati in 2008.
Following this historic victory, the reigning national champions will stay home for a matchup at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday.