No. 4 UConn men’s basketball did not allow a made basket for 13 minutes and 20 seconds en route to its 110-47 victory over UMass Lowell on Friday night.
The Huskies (2-0) led by 30 points before the game reached 10 minutes of play, scoring 11 unanswered to start the contest. As the game entered halftime, UConn found itself with the team’s largest lead in program history, up 47 points at the break.
The previous record was set against one of head coach Dan Hurley’s former gigs, Wagner, in 1998 when the Huskies led 63-23 at the half.
The win over the River Hawks (1-1) came after what UConn’s spirited head coach called an “excruciating” performance against the New Haven Chargers on Monday, who the Huskies defeated 79-55.
“I just thought it was an appropriate level of playing mad, playing angry, being embarrassed with the first game performance and taking it out on an opponent,” Hurley said.
Tarris Reed Jr. scored the Huskies’ opening basket after coming down with an offensive rebound, a scene the River Hawks would be forced to rewatch all night, as he dominated in his season debut for the Huskies. A hamstring injury had sidelined Reed through the preseason and the team’s season opener.
The 6-foot-11 center looked like he hadn’t lost a step, as he snatched UConn’s first three defensive boards of the game. He had four points paired with five rebounds before getting his first rest, not even four minutes into the game. The only blemish in his performance was a missed dunk in the middle of the second half.
Reed finished the game with a 20-point double-double in just 17 minutes.
“He makes a big difference on both ends, on the backboard,” Hurley said. “He’s one of the best big guys in the country.”
Hurley ripped the Huskies on ball defense in the press conference following the game with New Haven. In that game UConn allowed the Chargers to net 23 field goals. Against Lowell, it took the River Hawks 18 attempts to finally see one go in, as Austin Green knocked down a mid-range jumper, cutting the Huskies lead down to 48-7.
Hurley credited Malach Smithi and Silas Demary Jr. for “setting the tone” on the defensive end. He also said that Jayden Ross was “awesome” defensively. The Huskies were able to force 21 turnovers on the night.
“I was pleased to see the level of defensive intensity that we were able to sustain,” Hurley said.
The Huskies operated like a well-oiled machine. Hurley commented on Monday that the Huskies were not passing as well as they should have been, finishing the game against New Haven with just 11 assists.
On Friday, the ball was passed around like napkins at a barbecue restaurant. The Huskies tallied 27 assists on the night, as seven players finished in double figures.
Silas Demary Jr. was a key driver for the offense, dishing out seven assists of his own. Demary was named to the Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch List, given to the best point guard in the country. He showed the fans why tonight, missing just one shot on his way to a 16-point performance.
“I think I’m starting to get comfortable,” Demary said. “I’m gonna get up the floor as quick as [I] can and get the best shot, trying to get a paint touch, and whether that be a drop off to T Reed, or whether it be a kick out to AK or Solo, I think just finding that balance, and pushing at all times.”
UConn shot a measly 34% from three in the win over New Haven but were able to turn around its shooting woes against the River Hawks. They buried four of their first five attempts from beyond the arc.
Alex Karaban and Malachi Smith led the three-point attack, each knocking down three triples on the night.
“We didn’t have really a game like that last year,” Hurley said. “We won some games by a considerable margin, but there was a level of dominance.”
UConn will return to Storrs, Conn. on Monday as the team takes on Columbia at Gampel Pavilion, a final tune up game before the thick of the Huskies schedule.
Fans can tune into the game on FS1 where the tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.