BUFFALO, N.Y. — To R.J. Cole it was all about getting that first NCAA Tournament win. That’s what this season had been about.
Cole and his UConn teammates gave it their all, but in the end it was not enough to offset 37 points from Teddy Allen as the Huskies’ 2021-22 season came to an end, 70-63, at the hands of No. 12 seed New Mexico State on Thursday night at Keybank Arena.
The Aggies will play the winner of No. 4 Arkansas and No. 13 Vermont game in a second-round game on Saturday.
With 27 seconds left, Allen made a layup, got fouled and made the free throw for a 66-60 lead. With 18 seconds left, Cole hit a 3 to make it 66-63. Isaiah Whaley fouled Allen on the next possession and he made both free throws for a 68-60 advantage. With seven seconds left, Polley missed a 3, then Allen made both free throws on the next possession to clinch the game.
Cole had 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting from the field. Adama Sanogo was next wit 10 points and eight rebounds.
After a quiet first half with just two points, Cole got into a groove in the second half. The guard took smart shots, controlled the offensive pace and helped UConn’s offense recover after a slow start. He had 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field.
Allen, the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, why. In the first half Allen flashed an impressive variety of offensive moves as he scored from everywhere on the court. UConn‘s Andre Jackson was his primary defender, but he quickly picked up two fouls before the half had even finished. Allen had 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field. He was just setting the stage for the second half when he scored 23 more, including his team’s last 15 points of the game.
UConn’s offensive trio of Sanogo, Tyrese Martin and Cole came into the game all averaging at least 13 points. In the first half, they combined for six points on 3-for-13 shooting. The Aggies did a great job of holding them in check and forcing the Huskies’ role players into taking shots.
UConn struggled on both ends of the court in the first half. The Huskies shot 9-for-26 (34.6%) and 2-for-11 (18.2%) from 3. On the defensive end, it wasn’t much better as New Mexico State shot 12-for-26 (46%). The Aggies went into the half with a 32-22 lead.
UConn came out of the second half with a renewed energy on both sides of the court. After a quick Sanogo bucket, New Mexico State quickly responded with a 6-0 run to put them up 38-24 and force a UConn timeout at the 18:12 mark in the second half. Out of the timeout, Cole hit a 3. On the next possession, Whaley made a 3 to cut the Aggies lead to 38-30.At 13:52, Cole hit a tough runner to cut the New Mexico State lead to 40-35.
With 9:24 left in the game, Martin hit a 3 to bring the Huskies within four points, 47-43. Cole hit a 3 to make it a 47-46 Aggies lead. With 05:08 left, Martin got fouled and sank both free throws to tie up the game, 52-52.
