Post-game breakdown: SMU
The Huskies secured a signature victory that they so desperately needed.
An 81-73 upset of No. 21 SMU will look good on UConn’s resume.
“We’ve been kind of struggling as a team,” red-shirt sophomore Rodney Purvis said. “For us to come together at this point in the season when we really, really need to against a great team like SMU, I feel like there’s no better time.”
The Mustangs (23-6, 14-3) entered the game riding a five-game winning streak. They had won 13 of their last 14 games.
The Huskies improved to 17-11, 10-6.
Here’s a post-game breakdown:
-- UConn executed well on both ends of the floor against the American Athletic Conference’s best team.
The Huskies easily topped their scoring average of 65.1 points per game. They shot 53.2 percent from the field, including a sizzling 61.9 percent (13 for 21) in the second half.
Their point total represented a season-high against the Mustangs.
“It was a great win,” coach Kevin Ollie said. “To score that many points against SMU, one of the best defensive teams not in only in the conference, but in the nation, was great.
“In the second half, we pretty much just took the game to them. We just executed down the stretch. … From a defensive game plan, it reminded me of the NCAA tournament. We were just executing on the offensive and defensive end.”
-- Purvis, who piled up a career-best 28 points, earned star of the game honors. He continually attacked the basket and had the monster dunk of the season for UConn.
“Rodney played outstanding…,” Ollie said. “His aggressiveness came out. He wasn’t tentative at all.”
Purvis also went a perfect seven for seven from the foul line. He came in shooting 46.4 percent and had made just 3 of his last 13 free throws.
Hard work in practice paid off for him.
“I’ve been shooting tons and tons of free throws,” Purvis said.
-- Senior Ryan Boatright scored high marks across the board. He had 23 points, five assists and three rebounds in 39 minutes and played tenacious defense on fellow AAC player of the year candidate Nic Moore.
Moore finished with nine points on 3 for 13 from the field.
Ollie also praised Boatright’s leadership.
“He’s keeping everybody calm and everybody poised,” Ollie said.
-- Purvis, Boatright and freshman Daniel Hamilton combined for 67 points while the rest of the Huskies had just 14.
-- Hamilton started the game at small forward and scored only two points in the first half. When Ollie switched to a smaller lineup in the second half, Hamilton used his athleticism to his advantage, scoring 14 points.
-- Boatright moved into ninth place on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,689 points, passing Wes Bialosuknia (1964-67) who had 1,673 points.
-- The Huskies improved to 10-0 when leading at half. They were up, 32-26.
They also climbed to 7-0 when shooting over 50 percent from the field.
-- UConn’s big men, junior Phil Nolan and sophomore Amida Brimah, both fouled out late in the game. They combined for just six points and seven rebounds but really battled under the basket and played solid defense.
Hamilton led the team with seven rebounds.
-- The Huskies improved to 6-1 at the XL Center this season. The building was sold-out with a crowd of 15,564 on hand.
“It was a phenomenal environment,” SMU coach Larry Brown said. “I hope our program someday is going to be received like this. It was just great to be a part of this.”
-- Freshman Rakim Lubin (concussion) sat out his second straight game. Sam Cassell Jr. (stress fracture) is expected to miss the rest of the regular season.
-- With two regular season games to go, UConn resides in fifth place with a full game lead over Memphis. The Huskies can lock up a first round bye with a win against Memphis Thursday at Gampel Pavilion.
“If we play like we did tonight, it will be real hard to beat us,” Hamilton said. “We just have to continue to be consistent and play like this night in and night out.”
-- The Mustangs (23-6, 14-3) fell into second place. The regular season title will be decided host first-place Tulsa in the regular season finale on Saturday.
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