Huskies cruise past UMES on Saturday night

Huskies cruise past UMES on Saturday night

HARTFORD – The No. 2 UConn men’s basketball team (5-3) had no trouble getting back on track in its return home, defeating UMES (2-9) by a score of 99-45 on Saturday before a sellout was 15,684 spectators. Liam McNeeley And Jaylin Stewart led six Huskies in double figures with 16 points each in the loss Tarris Reed Jr. And Jayden Ross both notched double-doubles.

The Huskies used a big early run to build a massive double-digit lead that they never relinquished. Stewart He tied his career high with 16 in his first career start and added seven rebounds McNeeley Posted 16 with five boards. Reed Jr. (10 points, 12 rebounds) and horse (10 points, 10 rebounds) became the second pair of UConn teammates to double in the same game this year, joining McNeeley and Reed Jr. in the opener.

How it happened

The Hawks scored the first basket of the game, but the Huskies promptly scored the next 13 points, going on an 18-2 run over more than six minutes of play to take an early double-digit lead.

Later in the opening stanza, a 12-0 run capped by a slam from Ross and a 3-pointer from McNeeley triggered a UMES timeout with the Huskies leading 30-8 with eight remaining :32 minutes left. Although the Huskies didn’t score for more than six minutes early in the first period, they took a 40-18 lead after a break Hassan Diarra 3-point play in the final seconds of the half.

The second half began with more of the same, with the Huskies scoring the first eight points of the frame and extending the lead to 30. Connecticut shot 66.7 percent (18 of 27) in the second half and extended its lead to as many as 55 in the 99-45 triumph.

In the numbers

  • The Huskies shot 54.2 percent (32 of 59) for the game and 37.0 percent (10 of 27) from 3-point range, holding UMES to 30.0 (15-50) and 14.3 (2). -14) points
  • UConn had its best performance of the season at the free throw line, shooting 25 of 27 (92.6 percent).
  • Connecticut hammered the Hawks by a 48-23 margin, getting season highs in caroms from Reed Jr. (12), Ross (10) and Stewart (7).
  • Aidan Mahaney scored a season-high 11 points and provided four assists
  • The first 10 Huskies to see the court all scored at least five points
  • UConn assisted on 23 of 32 field goals, scoring five times each Diarra And Ahmad Nowell – it was the fifth time this season that he had 20 assists
  • UConn turned a +1 turnover lead into a 14-6 point advantage in turnovers
  • The Huskies also had a 42-20 team advantage, a 17-3 advantage in fast break points and outscored the UMES bench 42-4

News and notes

  • UConn improves to 4-0 against UMES after their first meeting since 2021
  • The Huskies won 32-even Non-conference home games
  • Connecticut is 3-0 at the XL Center this season after going 8-0 in Hartford last year
  • Reed Jr. recorded his third double-double as a Husky and sixth of his career – his 12 rebounds were the most in a game for a UConn player this season
  • The double-doubles off the bench for Reed Jr. and Ross mark the first time since Andre Jackson and that two reserves have recorded a double-double for the Huskies in the same game Donovan Clingan did so in the 2022 PKI title game against Iowa State
  • Solo ball (12 points) is the only Husky to score in double figures in all eight games this season, a feat he accomplished just three times as a freshman a season ago
  • Isaiah Abraham set a new career high with six points

Next

The Huskies significantly expand their non-conference roster and host No. 17 Baylor on Wednesday, Dec. 4 as part of the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle at Gampel Pavilion.

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