Storrs — Watching UConn fire away from the perimeter was a painful experience last season.

The Huskies struggled mightily.

Those ugly shooting days may be over.

Early returns indicate that the Huskies are an improved perimeter team due in part to hard work in the off-season.

When New Hampshire settled into a zone for the entire game on Tuesday, No. 19 UConn's shooting eyes lit up. The Huskies converted 13 3-pointers out of 27 attempts during an 85-66 victory at Gampel Pavilion.

They never made more than 11 in a game last season. The Huskies lost Ryan Boatright, their top 3-point shooter last season.

"I'm glad we practiced our zone a little bit," coach Kevin Ollie said. "They made us work on the defensive end, so it was great game for us. It was kind of like being in the dentist chair a little bit. But our guys made 13 threes. ... To shoot 52 percent against a zone all night, being early in the season, it was great."

"... It was good to have a breakout game from the 3-point line."

Sterling Gibbs (21 points) and backcourt partner Rodney Purvis (20 points) combined for 41 points and each buried five 3-pointers. It was the second straight game that Gibbs has led the Huskies (2-0) in scoring.

Gibbs, who played at Seton Hall before transferring to UConn, came in with a reputation as a proven perimeter shooter. He scored 18 points and hit four of his first five threes in the first half to help the Huskies take a 39-29 lead at the break.

"I love zone," Gibbs said. "It's pretty much just like practice shots. Honestly, in the first half, they pretty much just dared us to shoot the ball. I like shooting the ball, so I was able to step into the shot and be confident in the shot and make it."

Purvis is shooting with more confidence and accuracy through the first two games. He spent countless hours in the gym over the summer, launching shot after shot. He tied a career-high for 3-pointers.

"It's a lot better," Purvis said of his jumper. "The main thing is confidence. I'm not going to say I'm Ray Allen or anything, but I think I can shoot the ball fairly decent when I see a few of them going in."

New Hampshire actually did UConn a favor by playing zone. The Wildcats (1-1) are normally a man-to-man team but coach Bill Herrion was forced to switch to zone because of a short-handed roster due to a couple suspensions.

The game remained close throughout the first half. UNH actually led, 16-15, and only trailed 32-27 before UConn extended the gap to 10 at the break, with Gibbs sinking a 3-pointer for the final hoop.

The Huskies took the lead despite starters Daniel Hamilton, Amida Brimah and Shonn Miller all failing to score and battling foul trouble in the first 20 minutes.

Hamilton made up for lost time, sparking the Huskies in the second half and finishing with 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists overall. He started things off by scoring off his own rebound and then set up Brimah for a dunk for a 45-29 lead.

Herrion compared Hamilton's passing skills to Magic Johnson.

"It means a lot," said Hamilton, who's from Los Angeles "It's really a blessing for him to call me somebody like Magic. I've seen some highlights of Magic, but I wouldn't take it quite that far."

The Huskies led by as many as 21 against a UNH team that hopes to compete for the America East Championship.

With the Wildcats in retreat mode, the Huskies had limited fast break opportunities. UConn was able to adjust and play a different style.

"Guys are just being preparing," Ollie said. "To play in different style really shows that we've got a team that can play in any type of game, so I was very proud of the guys."

The Huskies also received a huge boost from their bench, especially from senior Phil Nolan (nine points, six rebounds), who sat out the opener with a sprained ankle, and junior Kentan Facey (two points, six rebounds, three assists). Their production was important because fellow frontcourt players Miller and Brimah had off nights, combining for just nine points.

"This time of year I'm trying to see what we have and I'm coaching that way," Ollie said. "I want to play a lot of guys."

Ollie also praised the Huskies for playing "solid" defense, limiting UNH to 36.1 percent from the field. Tanner Leissner (20 points) and Pat McNamara (14) helped keep the Wildcats in the game.

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe