INDIANAPOLIS — Dan Hurley had a feeling entering conference play that his UConn men’s basketball team coasting to double-digit victories would come to an end against Big East opponents. Despite the 68-46 final score against Butler in the conference opener on Saturday, he was right.
UConn struggled to shoot and got into a physical battle with the Bulldogs — Manny Bates and Adama Sanogo the main event down low — that allowed Butler within six points of the Huskies in the game’s final 10 minutes. But, as they’ve been able to do in all 12 contests this season, the Huskies caught fire and used a 20-5 run to extend to a 19-point advantage late.
It is the 12th consecutive double-digit win for the unbeaten, third-ranked UConn men to start the season.
After landing in Indiana late and missing Friday’s shootaround inside Hinkle Fieldhouse, it took a bit for the Huskies to get comfortable shooting in the irregular arena.
After making just one of their first eight shots, the Huskies faced an early six-point deficit (their largest all season) as the Butler crowd roared until the silencer came from an unlikely 3-pointer from Andre Jackson, his sixth of the season. Later, second-chance points from Jordan Hawkins kicked off a 10-0 scoring run that put UConn in front, 19-12, with 7:32 to go in the opening half.
Nahiem Alleyne drew a charge that sparked a roaring series of boos from the packed Hinkle crowd in the final minute of the first half, and then set the Bulldogs’ supporters over the edge with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that allowed the Huskies a 28-20 lead at halftime.
UConn’s shooting woes lasted for much of the opening period as the team made just 12 of 40 from the field and 4 of 17 from deep. The difference came on the glass, where size and effort gave the Huskies a 31-15 rebounding advantage in the first half with 14 coming on the offensive end.
Hurley had prepared his Huskies, with a particular focus on the four transfers and two freshmen, since summer workouts began for the physicality of the Big East.
Butler gave the Huskies a taste of exactly that on Saturday as Bates wore down the paint for a pair of buckets before Chuck Harris made a layup that cut UConn’s lead to 43-39 with 9:37 left in the game. That 6-0 run, which forced Hurley to call a timeout amid a prolonged roar from the crowd, was ended by a rare 3-pointer from Sanogo, who led the team with 27 points and 14 rebounds.
Bates finished with 16 points, but was held to just three rebounds in the contest.
UConn hadn’t been tested with a close game late in the second half and used it’s most important advantage — depth — to outlast the Bulldogs in the late stages.
When Hawkins threw down a dunk off an assist from Sanogo, his third, to give the Huskies a 65-46 advantage, Hinkle Fieldhouse quieted and began to empty.
Hawkins finished with 12 points and Alleyne nine as the Huskies finished the game shooting 28 for 71 (39.4%) from the field and 10 for 29 from 3. The rebounding advantage extended to 54-30 at game’s end.
UConn returns to action on Tuesday with a second Big East matchup against Georgetown inside Gampel Pavilion at 6:30 p.m.
