MBB: UConn Upends St. Bonaventure At The Rock
Nothing beats an early-season showdown between two hot teams looking to pad their resume for March. The UConn Huskies and the St. Bonaventure Bonnies clashed at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in the fifth annual Never Forget Tribute Classic. It was the first year where a men’s and women’s doubleheader was held. Earlier in the day, the UConn Women’s basketball team took care of business. Now, it was the men’s team turn as they looked to complete the sweep.
A tightly contested game into the second half, UConn used a 13-0 run at the midway point to pull away from a competitive Bonnies team. Back-to-back buckets by guard Jordan Hawkins helped the Huskies build their lead. However, St. Bonaventure did not go quietly into the night, as they mounted a second-half comeback and cut the UConn lead to six with 4:34 left to play and then to five with 3:52 remaining but every time the Bonnies made a run, the Huskies had an answer. Both teams were missing key pieces heading into the game. St. Bonaventure was down leading scorer Kyle Lofton (17.4 PPG), while UConn was missing Adama Sanogo (15.6 PPG) and Tyrese Martin (12.9PPG).
Photo Source: UConn Athletics
A key and-one from UConn guard Jalen Gaffney at the 1:28 mark sealed the game for UConn. This was a much-needed win after suffering a tough loss this past Wednesday, it seems the Huskies are back on track after a hard-fought victory against the Bonnies, who fell to 8-2. Head Coach Dan Hurley should be pleased with the win, as it should allow UConn to stay ranked in the top 25.
The Huskies still have things to improve upon. Their sub 30% mark from beyond the arc will surely be a point of emphasis going forward, as well as their 75% free throw percentage. Still, this UConn team is a deep one, getting contributions from every player that was available. Next up for the Huskies is a date with Providence next Saturday, December 18th at 5 PM EST.
Stars of the game:
-#44 G Andre Jackson 9 points 11 rebounds 5 assists 1 steal
-#0 G Jalen Gaffney 9 points 5 rebounds 4 assists
-#11/#5 F/F Akok/Whaley 3 blocks each
