Storrs, CT (Sports Network) - Deandre Daniels scored 26 points and pulled down
eight rebounds for the Connecticut Huskies as they crushed the DePaul Blue
Demons, 99-78, in a Big East battle at Gampel Pavilion.
Except for Omar Calhoun who finished with nine points on 4-of-12 shooting from
the floor, every starter for the Huskies (11-3, 1-1 Big East) scored in double
figures as they won for the fifth time in six games.
Ryan Boatright accounted for 22 points, Shabazz Napier filled his stat line
with 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals, while Tyler
Olander tacked on 10 points for the hosts.
The Blue Demons (10-6, 1-2), losers of three of the last four, were paced by
Brandon Young who scored a career-high 35 points as he nailed 13-of-22 shots
from the floor, including 3-of-4 beyond the arc. Cleveland Melvin contributed
another 18 points and blocked five shots in the losing cause as well.
UConn ran out to a 9-0 lead in the first half and never looked back, shooting
54.3 percent from the floor in the period in order to claim a 54-34 advantage
at the break.
In the second half the Huskies cooled off a bit, hitting just 44.7 percent
from the field and 1-of-7 beyond the arc, but the team still held a very
comfortable lead.
DePaul was only outscored by four points in the paint, 50-46, but the visitors
were still no match for the Huskies on the glass as the visitors lost the
rebounding battle, 49-29.
The Blue Demons played without starters Donnavan Kirk and Charles McKinney,
who were suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules.
The 99 points for the Huskies were the most for the program since producing
117 in the memorable six-overtime affair versus Syracuse during the 2009 Big
East Tournament. In terms of regulation games, the last time UConn scored 99
points was in the second game of the 2008-09 campaign when it defeated
Hartford by a score of 99-56.
GAME NOTES:
The Sports Network