Hartford — As Jordan Hawkins happily bounced toward the bench after burying a 3-pointer that forced Marquette to call a first-half timeout Tuesday, the UConn freshman was greeted by a welcoming committee.

His fired up teammates surrounded him.

Coach Dan Hurley, whose intensity level rarely slips below level 10, strutted out onto the court, looked up into the XL Center crowd and pumped his fist.

The 24th-ranked Huskies enjoyed several more celebrations during the course of a thoroughly entertaining Big East game.

Playing with energy and attitude that had been missing in recent games, they were rewarded with a hard-fought 80-72 victory over No. 18 Marquette, breaking a two-game losing streak.

They rediscovered their swagger.

"That felt great to see it again, everybody just celebrating each other's success," veteran guard Tyrese Martin said. "But that comes with making those plays first. Being able to make those plays and getting energy from the crowd and then the celebration, I think I had a couple that were funny to me, honestly.

"... Coach wanted that, honestly. That's been one of his main points this week, getting our swag back and celebrating after big plays. I feel like we did that."

UConn's best players showed up, as Adama Sanogo (24 points, 15 rebounds), Martin (18 points, a season-high 15 rebounds) and R.J. Cole (nine points, five assists) hoisted the team on their broad shoulders.

The inspired effort came just before UConn is about to embark on a two-game road trip. The Huskies (16-6, 7-4) surpassed last year's overall victory total while beating a ranked team for the second time this season. They swept the regular season series.

They cooled off a sizzling hot Marquette, which had won eight of its last nine games prior to Tuesday. The Golden Eagles fell to 16-8, 8-5, but remained in third place in the Big East, just ahead of UConn.

Hurley called it a "huge win."

"Our guys did a much better job of making plays and engaging the crowd," Hurley said. "It was an unbelievable atmosphere here. When you have a crowd like that and energy like that in the building, it's hard to lose at home."

"... We couldn't lose this game. We played with a desperation that you need to play with every single night, which just happens to be our identity."

The Huskies set the tone earlier in the week during a players only team meeting on Sunday, a day after suffering a humbling 11-point loss at Villanova.

They talked about getting back to playing with the same energy, passion and defensive mindset as they did in the Bahamas against Michigan State and Auburn in late November. They're still the only team to beat now No. 1 Auburn.

"We wanted to come out as that team today and I feel like we did that from the start," Martin said.

Slow starts have hurt UConn, which trailed at halftime in four of the previous five games. The Huskies took an aggressive approach on Tuesday, carrying a 46-36 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Hurley requested a loud and engaged crowd and he got one. The fans stayed engaged in the game, roaring when Sanogo scored inside to hand UConn its largest lead at 38-24. A 12-2 run featured 3-pointers from Tyler Polley and Cole.

Sanogo, a consistent force inside, had as many points at half (14) as he did the entire game against Villanova.

"Adama played like a Big East player of the year," Hurley said.

UConn's bench provided a big boost early on, as Polley and Hawkins combined for 14 points before intermission.

Holding a double digit advantage, UConn had to fight to the finish line in the second half.

A 10-point halftime lead dipped to just one, 53-52, with 11:56 remaining. The Huskies stayed in front by sinking free throws.

Martin's driving basket gave UConn its first field goal in 8:15 and Isaiah Whaley hit two free throws to cap a 10-0 run for a 63-52 edge with 6:14 left.

Marquette answered, cutting the gap to 63-60 on Darryl Morsell's 3-pointer.

But the determined Huskies would not let the game slip away.

The tough-minded Martin hit a 3-pointer to put UConn on top 70-61 with 4:13 left.

UConn grabbed several key offensive rebounds, including Martin's tough put-back basket to extend the lead to eight, down the stretch. The Huskies closed out the win from the foul line, making 19 of 22 in the second half but converted just 7 of 23 field goals.

The Huskies dominated under the basket, owning a 46-27 rebounding edge.

"When we're at our best, we're not a team that people look forward to playing against because of what we can do on the backboard," Hurley said.

Marquette had beaten five ranked teams since Jan. 4 before falling on Tuesday. Big East player of the year candidate Justin Lewis finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for the Golden Eagles, who shot 40 percent from the field.

"Just really, really impressed with how they played," Marquette coach Shaka Smart said about UConn. "They're going to win a ton of games and go a long way if they play like they did tonight. They're length and athleticism is as good as anyone in the league. But they played hard.

"We always talk about playing with violence. They were the more violent team."

The Big East grind continues for UConn, which visits No. 25 Xavier on Friday and then travels to New York City to face St. John's Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden

The Huskies regained their confidence and swagger, thanks to Tuesday's win.

"We know we're a formidable team," Hurley said. "We just needed to get back to our identity and just play with a little bit more passion and a little bit more fire and more force. That's who we are."

News and notes

Hawkins had his second straight productive game off the bench, finishing with eight points.  ... Reserve forward Akok Akok missed his second straight game due to a foot sprain. ... Howie Dickenman, a Norwich native, former Central Central Connecticut State University head coach and ex-UConn assistant coach, attended the game. ... Hurley on the negative noise on social media after UConn dropped two straight: "The noise, the unrest, the hysteria that goes on when you lose at UConn, you just have to be able to turn it off. Delete your Twitter and don't go on social (media) and just focus on what we've got to do." ... UConn shot 47.4 percent from the field, 87 percent (20-for-23) from the foul line and 42.9 percent (6 for 14) from 3-point range.

g.keefe@theday.com