Huskies Ace Adversity Test
The Story: Joey Calcaterra and the bench bailed out the No. 2-ranked men’s basketball team in the second half as the Huskies held off Georgetown for their 13th straight win, 84-73, last night at Gampel Pavilion.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Our man, Joey California, scored 14 second-half points and the bench sparked a 31-13 second-half run as the Huskies rallied from a seven-point deficit to keep its double-digits win streak alive.
• Hassan Diarra‘s defense, ball handling and energy helped get the Huskies out of the doldrums as a 47-40 halftime lead turned into a 60-53 deficit with 11:53 to go. It was UConn’s first time trailing in the second half this season.
• The Huskies (13-0) and have won every game by double digits this season, becoming the first Big East team to do so since Derrick Coleman and the Syracuse Orangemen did so in 1985-86.
• Tristen Newton led the Huskies with 17 points while Jordan Hawkins added 15 and Adama Sanogo had 14. Andre Jackson continues to do everything and had seven points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
• Akok Akok looked good for Georgetown with 10 points and five rebounds, and after a highlight-reel block on Hawkins was even willing to help pick his old teammate up off the floor.
• There are only three unbeaten teams left in the country: No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 UConn and New Mexico.
HURLEY TURNS TO BENCH: Georgetown was a 23.5-point underdog but shredded UConn’s first-string defense. The Hoyas, led by Windsor’s Primo Spears, embarked on a 20-6 run to open the second half. Georgetown was shooting 59 percent and Dan Hurley went small.
• Calcaterra, Diarra and Nahiem Alleyne were inserted into lineup alongside Jackson and Donovan Clingan. Going small allowed the Huskies to match the speed of Georgetown’s perimeter play and the ball pressure sparked UConn’s flailing half-court offense in the final 12 minutes.
WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “Joey’s got a high level of self-belief. He wants in, and he’s not afraid to take important shots. He’s got certainly a knack, and I think it helps him that he’s playing with good players.”
DEPTH AND VERSATILITY: It isn’t that Hurley can go nine deep that is impressive. It’s that the Huskies can change their style of play. Consider the following:
• One game after annihilating Butler on the boards, the Huskies were outrebounded by the Hoyas 40-28.
• UConn didn’t dominate inside, but instead hit 11 3-pointers and went small to speed the game up, apply full-court pressure and get in transition.
• The ability to play at different speeds and different styles is something few Big East teams can do.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: UConn only had five offensive rebounds and was minus-12 on the boards but managed 34 points in the paint, 23 points off the bench and 21 points on the fast break.
• The Huskies scored 16 points off turnovers and only committed seven turnovers. They were 13-for-15 from the free throw line and Georgetown went 16-for-24.
UP NEXT: It’s home for the holidays for the Huskies, who are off for a week before they return to action with a game against Villanova on Dec. 28 at the XL Center. The game is already sold out, so hit up the secondary market for tickets.
Tea Time With the Huskies
The Story: The No. 9-ranked women’s basketball team will play a rare midweek afternoon game today when it welcomes Seton Hall to the XL Center (noon, SNY).
GENO OUT: The Huskies will again be without Geno Auriemma, who fell ill prior to the win over Florida State at Mohegan Sun on Sunday and will cede the throne to Chris Dailey yet again.
• Dailey puts her perfect record on the line once again. She improved to 14-0 in place of Geno on Sunday and shouldn’t have much trouble against Seton Hall today, either.
• “There’s been a lot going on in the last couple weeks, and I think it caught up to me physically,” Geno said in a statement released by the university. “I’ve been feeling under the weather for about 10 days now, and my doctor recommended I take a few days off to fully recover. CD and the coaching staff will continue to do a phenomenal job in my absence, and I look forward to returning to the team in a few days.”
WHY WEDNESDAY AT NOON? The Huskies are running a “Lunch With the Huskies” and “Field Trip Day” promotion that includes more than 800 students from East Hartford Middle School attending the game. It’s kind of like getaway day at the Yard Goats, only with less baseball.
• Also in attendance will be the East Hartford High girls’ basketball team, which will (presumably) be cheering on former teammate Shailyn Pinkney, a freshman guard on the Pirates.
• If you’re going to the game, you’re in luck: Concessions will be 45% off. Maybe a full 50% was too much to ask, given how badly the building needs the money and all.
ABOUT SETON HALL: The Pirates (9-3, 2-0 Big East) are on a seven-game win streak after losing back-to-back games to Princeton and Columbia, the Ivy League’s finest, in the first two weeks of the season.
• Seton Hall is led by guard Lauren Park-Lane, who’s averaging 21.3 points and 5.8 assists per game on 40.9 percent shooting. Park-Lane, a senior who we could have sworn is in her ninth season, has scored 14 points per game against UConn — including a 29-point outburst early in her sophomore year.
• Sidney Cooks, a 6-foot-4 sixth-year senior center who also played at Michigan State and Mississippi State, is averaging 15 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game.
• Pinkney has started eight games and is scoring 2.3 points in 12.3 minutes per game.
• Seton Hall has gotten better in recent years under longtime coach Tony Bozzella, who is in his 10th season, but UConn has still won the last 35 games between the teams.
Morning Reads
• It’s not entirely surprising, but the baseball team was named the unanimous favorite in the Big East by a poll of the conference coaches. (UConnHuskies.com)
• We’ve never doubted Kemba Walker‘s passion or heart — and the Mavericks are finding that out now a few weeks into his time in Dallas. (Mavs.com)
• It’s the season of giving, and Tyrese Martin joined three other Hawks teammates in handing out gifts to children who live in public housing in Atlanta. (NBA.com)
Top photo: Joey Calcaterra and Adama Sanogo celebrate during the win against Georgetown. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)
