In an exciting back-and-forth game, it was Kansas who came on top 69-65. Read below for three takeaways from this top 5 matchup.
Takeaway #1: Jayhawks neutralize UConn’s stars
For most of the season so far, Cam Spencer and Donovan Clingan have been the stars for the Huskies and the key reason for their undefeated start. Friday, Kansas completely took them out of it, holding them to 5-for-19 from the field and 1-for-7 from deep. Tristan Newton did all he could to make up for it, scoring 26 points and knocking down 6 threes, but it wasn’t enough
Takeaway #2: Kevin McCullar comes up big when it matters
From around the 16-minute mark to the 6-minute mark, it looked like UConn could take control of this one. Kevin McCullar made sure that wasn’t the case, knocking down three big threes in the final six minutes, including a huge shot with a minute left to increase the lead to six. He finished with 21, leading the team in scoring and doing what he can to win.
Takeaway #3: It’s hard to win in Allen Fieldhouse
To UConn’s credit, they did bring a crowd. This was one of the most impressive road crowds I’ve seen at Allen Fieldhouse. However, when you’re playing at Allen Fieldhouse, you usually don’t end up on top. The tension of the crowd, the hot arena, and the fact this is UConn’s first true road game of the season played a big part in this one.
UConn fans should actually look at this game positively. Their two stars struggle, and they play at one of the most hostile environments in college basketball and still nearly come out with a win. They are a top 5 team for a reason, and they showed that tonight.
Next game for the Kansas Jayhawks: vs. Kansas City (Dec. 5 – 8 p.m.)
Next game for the UConn Huskies: vs. #17 North Carolina (Dec. 5 – 9 p.m.)