The UConn Huskies continued their dominance in the non-conference with a 20-point win over New Hampshire.
This was no trap game for the defending national champions ahead of the top 5 showdown at Allen Fieldhouse on Friday. The UConn Huskies used their size to their advantage against the smaller Wildcats and feasted down low from the jump to the final buzzer. Donovan Clingan and “Slamson” Johnson lived above the rim throwing down thunderous dunks and the trio of Solomon Ball, Tristen Newton, and Cam Spencer slashed into the paint at will.
True to UConn’s identity, the team crashed the glass, ending the first half with 8 offensive rebounds. The sharp shooting of New Hampshire closed the gap to within 10 late in the first half, however, they could never get closer the rest of the game in what ended up being an 84-64 rout.
Some defensive lapses in the second half kept this game closer than what the final score indicated with UConn sending UNH to the foul line 29 times. Dan Hurley was frustrated postgame saying, “to have a chance to really get the lead into the 30s and dominate them, obviously disappointed in the last 10 minutes, which were excruciating. For a team to shoot 29 free throws in the second half is absolutely incredible.”
The Huskies will have to be much better on Friday versus Kansas if they want to continue their undefeated start to the season. In the end, this was the 24th consecutive non-conference win by double figures for the UConn Huskies, breaking the record of 23 which was previously set by North Carolina back in 2008.
Takeaway #1: Donovan Clingan finally breaks out
The Huskies have been waiting for a game like this out of “Cling-Kong” all season. It’s been a slow start to the season for the preseason All-American as he entered the game averaging 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds. Those stats are nothing to sneeze at, however, expectations were sky-high going into the season as Clingan stepped in as the big man on campus after Adama Sanogo turned pro following the National Championship win.
Clingan proved to be too much for the Wildcats as he had his way down low making all 7 of his first-half shots and finishing the half with 16 points and 5 boards. He ended with a career-high 29 points and was impressive from start to finish. It will be fascinating to see if Clingan can carry this momentum going into the highly anticipated matchup with Kansas’s Hunter Dickinson.
Takeaway #2: Tristen Newton continues to do it all
Mr. Triple Double himself flirted with another one today, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists to go along with 0 turnovers. He’s the engine that runs the team. He excels at getting into the lane and finishing among the trees. He can spot up from deep and gets every player involved.
The most underrated part of his game is his ability to rebound the basketball. He currently leads the Big East in defensive rebounds as a guard and finished with 8 of them on Monday. It will be interesting to see if his strong start to the season will continue once potential future lottery pick Stephon Castle returns from injury.
If Newton can keep this up, the rest of the Big East will be in trouble. Hurley and the Huskies are hungry for their first Big East title since returning to the conference and will be right in the thick of things again this season. Not only is a Big East championship in reach for Newton, but if he keeps up this level of play, the Bob Cousy Award is too.
Takeaway #3: UNH Will Win the America East
The Wildcats will not face a team as talented as the Huskies again for the rest of the season but they showed flashes of what they can accomplish in March. The Wildcats have a bonafide star in Clarence O. Daniels and have a high-flying offense. Coming into the game, they led the America East in scoring, averaging 82.2 ppg. They didn’t reach this total in Gampel Pavilion but did show how lethal they can be beyond the arc, going 8-for-12 in the first half.
The Wildcats have four guys that can go off from deep, and today Jaxson Baker caught fire and hit five first-half long balls. New Hampshire ended up outshooting Connecticut from deep, hitting 13 in total while they held the Huskies to a season-low 4 triples.
Jaxson Baker was their leading scorer, finishing with 20 points, and Daniels and Ahmad Robinson each chipped in with 19. Unfortunately, 13 first-half turnovers were the story for the Wildcats as they were careless from the opening tip. The team had 6 turnovers, many of them unforced in the first five minutes of the game to fall behind early and they could never get within striking distance.
If the Wildcats can protect the basketball, they will be a problem for any team in the America East and will be poised to challenge Vermont for the right to go dancing in March. Will the slipper fit for UNH? Only time will tell.
Next up for #4 UConn: at #5 Kansas (Dec. 1 – 9 p.m.)
Next up for New Hampshire: at Sacred Heart (Nov. 30 – 7 p.m.)