PORTLAND, Oregon — The UConn men’s basketball team left its calling card in a national forum, something they haven’t done in recent years, winning the Phil Knight Invitational with an 71-53 victory over Iowa State on Sunday night.
The men’s team joined the women’s program, which secured the Phil Knight Legacy title earlier in the day. Both teams are able to pack trophies for a happy flight home.
The Huskies, ranked 20th, figure to move up several spots when the new AP poll comes out Monday, after beating Oregon, Alabama and Iowa State to conquer a heavyweights-only field in Portland. Winning November events has been a precursor to championships in the past for UConn men’s teams, and while it’s very early in the season, the Huskies have had the answer for every opponent so far.
This game was a grind, but UConn was up for the challenge.
The Huskies held the lead for the last 33:50 of the game, and by double-digits for much of that time, though it didn’t often feel like it. Iowa State’s pressure harried UConn, especially in the second half when the Cyclones no longer had to worry about accumulating fouls.
UConn (8-0) had to grind, with Jordan Hawkins on the bench with foul trouble and Adana Sanogo off rhythm. Stepping in was the supporting cast, Tristen Newton and Alex Karaban hitting momentum-changing 3s when things got close, and Donovan Clingan, with 15 points and nine rebounds, winning tournament MVP. The freshman from Bristol could wrest the Big East freshman of the week honors away from Karaban with his strongest effort yet.
But the dominant force for UConn was co-captain Andre Jackson, who, as usual, struggled to score his 10 points, but was all over the floor, tracking rebounds and loose balls, disrupting Iowa State’s offense and distributing for the Huskies. Jackson added 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. Newton scored 13, and Karaban 10, and though the Huskies shot sluggishly, they had a 48-19 edge in rebounding.
UConn had a rough first half shooting the ball, missing around the rim more than they had in previous games, and going only 3-for-15 on 3s. But the Huskies dominated the boards, scooping up many of the rebounds to be had, and in doing so controlled the game, taking a 38-28 lead into the break.
The Huskies took the lead 8-7 on Joey Calcaterra’s 3-pointer and held on for the rest of the half. Donovan Clingan was a force in the game, with eight points and five rebounds during a long stint off the bench, and the Huskies got Iowa State in foul trouble, scoring 15 points at the line, and stretched the lead to 35-22 with 2:07 left in the half. The Cyclones edged within seven, but Hassan Diarra’s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave the Huskies their double-digit lead at the break.
Iowa State’s press forced UConn turnovers in the second half, but not enough to capture the lead.
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