Hartford – The lethal UConn basketball team that routinely dismantled opponents earlier this season showed up again on Tuesday after a long absence.

The 21st-ranked Huskies put on an impressive show, rarely taking their foot off the accelerator while securing perhaps their most best win of the season, beating No. 10 Marquette, 87-72, at the XL Center.

After a rough January during which they won just three games, they’ve rediscovered their groove just in time for the stretch run.

“Just great to play a complete game,” coach Dan Hurley said. “Thrilled with the way the guys showed up for this one. They handled this game the way a UConn team should handle a game like this. … We played at a really high level for probably 35 minutes. That’s obviously enough to beat a really good team handily.”

Up until Tuesday’s game, UConn struggled against the top five Big East teams, going 1-5.

Energized, engaged and active from the start, the Huskies (19-6, 8-6) never trailed, led by 17 at the break and maintained a comfortable double digit margin the rest of the way while knocking off the Golden Eagles, who started Tuesday night tied for first with Xavier. UConn extended its winning streak to three, matching their longest since late December.

“Our energy won us that game,” sophomore Jordan Hawkins said. “We just out-toughed them.”

UConn received valuable contributions across the board.

Senior Tristen Newton became the first UConn player in program history to record two triple-doubles in a season, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists. Only one other Husky – Shabazz Napier – has accomplished that feat twice in a career.

“I was doing everything that I could do to win the game,” Newton said. “We needed this one bad, so we can get back to who we are. So, it was a good feeling.”

Adama Sanogo chipped in 18 points and seven rebounds, Hawkins had 20 points while Alex Karaban and Nahiem Alleyne added 13 apiece. UConn dominated the boards by a 48-24 margin, grabbing 21 on the offensive end.

A smothering defense held Marquette under its Big East scoring average of 81.2 points per game and 44.1 percent from the field. Leading scorer Kam Jones was limited to five points.

“They’re a scary offensive team,” Hurley said. “Our formula is make people uncomfortable defensively. … We forced them to become one-on-one players.”

The Golden Eagles (19-6, 11-3) saw their winning streak end at five.

“UConn, in my opinion, they played just the way they were playing when they were 14-0 and No. 2 in the country,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said.

Carrying a 17-point lead into the second half, the Huskies maintained their high level of play. Newton’s 3-pointer handed UConn its biggest lead so far at 54-32.

They continued to hustle for loose balls and rebounds, extending possessions and setting up second chance opportunities. They shot 50 percent from the field overall.

Crisp ball movement led to easy baskets. An alert Newton fired a pass inside to an open Karaban for a basket.

“He was like Nika Muhl out there,” Alleyne said.

Bothered by Marquette’s pressure, the Huskies started to falter, watching a 22-lead shrink to 17. Coach Dan Hurley called a timeout with 9:04 remaining.

Then Hawkins and Jackson picked up their fourth fouls less than a minute apart and headed to the bench.

It didn’t matter.

The Huskies refused to buckle and finished off the Golden Eagles.

UConn started the game like it was shot out of a cannon.

Hawkins buried a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock on UConn’s first possession.

An active Andre Jackson jammed home a lob pass from Newton and then blocked a shot on the other end. He also was assigned the difficult task of guarding elite point guard Tyler Kolek, who masterfully orchestrates a high-powered attack and leads the Big East in assists.

The super-charged Huskies continued to build their lead, capping a 15-2 run with Karaban’s 3-pointer off Donovan Clingan’s pass after grabbing an offensive rebound. The advantage grew to 22-6, much to the delight of the home crowd.

They also rode a fast start to a double digit lead (11) in the first meeting but eventually lost 82-76 on Jan. 11 in Milwaukee.

This time, the Huskies kept on the pressure after surging in front.

Sanogo’s inside move pushed the lead to 32-12 with 8:33 left

Alleyne capped off a terrific first half for the Huskies by sinking a buzzer-beating 3-pointer just past halfcourt. They jogged into the locker room with a 46-29 edge, their second largest lead at the break in Big East play this season. Hawkins already had 14 points.

UConn’s bench, which had been outscored by its counterparts in the previous four games, made a huge contribution to help keep the hosts in front. Alleyne made the biggest impact, finishing with a season-high for points and drawing two charges. Clingan added four points and eight rebounds.

The Huskies are feeling good again after losing six of eight from New Year’s Eve to Jan. 25.

“We’re working our way back,” Hawkins said. “Today was a very big step. That’s a really good team that we just beat.”

Earlier in the day, Hawkins was selected as one of the top 10 players in the running for the 2023 Jerry West Award that honors the nation’s top shooting guard. He’s the only Big East player on the list.

g.keefe@theday.com