Coming off 11 straight victories, it was expected that Saturday’s contest between the UConn men’s basketball team and the Georgetown Hoyas would be tough for the home team to pull off. That fact was certainly cemented by the end of Connecticut’s 89-64 beatdown of their opponents at Capital One Arena.
Throughout the matchup, the Hoyas could not gain a single lead during the game, and there were many factors to point at for their lack of competitiveness.
If one were to discuss this game, the first two words to begin their summary should be Alex Karaban. The sophomore hooper has showcased why he’s one of the best 4s in the country with his combination of offensive shooting and team-first attitude. That was surely displayed as he helped catapult his guys to a quick 5-2 lead off a layup and 3-point bucket.
But one of the biggest reasons for Georgetown’s demise in this game was themselves. This team has struggled to shoot the ball throughout the season, and with the way that UConn has played lately as a defensive unit, that only spelled disaster for Ed Cooley and Co. In the first half specifically, the program shot just 11/31 from the field, and if you take away Dontrez Styles’ 17 points, that number drops to an ugly 5/20. That’s not exactly how you want to be playing if you want to compete with the No. 1 team in the country.
On the other side of the court, the Hoyas were not doing much to help their lack of offense either. The Huskies were getting plenty of ideal looks, and while Karaban led the way with 17 first-half points, the entire unit was playing their part. Right behind his starting court teammate was Stephon Castle, who had nine points on an efficient 4/6 shooting in the first half.
While his box score numbers won’t scream at you, Donovan Clingan had one of his more unique games as a college starter. Defensively, he may have been the player that many have gotten accustomed to with three first-half blocks. But, what fans may have been surprised to see was his playmaking. The first three plays of the game were all assisted by the Bristol native, and when you tack on a late first-half dime to Hassan Diarra, that gave the Connecticut starter a total of four assists in the first 20 minutes.
With the No. 1 team in the nation playing to their identity, they walked into the locker room up 52-28. The large Husky crowd in attendance had seen an incredible showing, from plenty of Karaban triples to Samson Johnson slams and even Hassan Diarra finger gun celebrations. In short, it’s the perfect set of events for the fanbase.
To the delight of UConn fans and the dismay of the Hoyas, the second half played out similarly to the first half. There were more slam dunks, plenty of scoring from Karaban and Castle and some additional Georgetown struggles. By the final buzzer, the Huskies had shot a scorching 61% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc.
This was a dream scenerio compared to Connecticut’s national championship roster. Last season, the program struggled both at home and in the nation’s capital to have a firm grip on a win. While they’d still walk out of both games with the victory, it nonetheless made Saturday’s dismantling over the Hoyas even more special for coach Dan Hurley.
“I remember coming in here last year, and we played a pretty flat game,” said the Huskies’ head coach.
While Connecticut truly shot the ball well from beyond the arc, they also looked exceptional in the paint, with 48 points in that area of the court alone. Hurley credited his squad getting better with the switch on improving in that department.
“We’ve played against switching so much that teams that don’t switch don’t want to deal with our man stuff. They’re switching one through four. On-ball. Off-ball. One through five, even with Donovan, just because they don’t want to chase us with the stuff that we run. So we’ve now faced switching enough times that we’re getting better at playing versus the switch,” said Hurley.
Notably, Tristen Newton didn’t have one of his better games in the scoring column with six points after having his hand wrapped during warmups. He may have played through pain during Saturday’s win, but nine assists for the star guard showed where he could really shine.
“He also played what we’re all about. He played ‘We,’” said Hurley.
That “We” is the success of the collective unit. One player could struggle, but his brothers will pick him up. Whether that’s Cam Spencer, Johnson or, in Saturday’s case, Karaban, that collective firepower throughout the unit has made them one of, if not the toughest teams in the nation to stand up to on the hardwood.
It’s now 12 straight dubs for Connecticut, and they’re always striving for more. Riding off this win, they’ll travel to the Windy City on Wednesday for a matchup with DePaul at Wintrust Arena at 9 p.m.