Notes & Quotes: UConn Over SMU
HARTFORD, Conn. – The paint is where the UConn Huskies have struggled in previous meetings with SMU, but Amida Brimah made sure it was an advantage in a 68-62 victory Thursday night in front of a sold-out crowd at the XL Center.
Brimah scored 16 points with eight rebounds and five blocks to help the Huskies (19-7, 9-4 American Athletic Conference), who outscored the No. 21 Mustangs 26-20 inside on the way to their second straight win. It was one of the team's best overall games of the season, and they did it with a capacity crowd cheering them on.
The win moved UConn into a second-place tie with the Mustangs in the conference, and a half-game ahead of Cincinnati, who lost to Tulsa Thursday night in overtime.
Here’s a closer look at the Huskies’ win:
WHAT WENT RIGHT
1. THAT’S OUR PAINT: Markus Kennedy and the Mustangs have dominated inside in their meetings with the Huskies, but Brimah and Shonn Miller (12 points, seven rebounds) helped turn the tide UConn’s way. Even though SMU outrebounded them 35-33, the Huskies’ defense held it to just five second-chance points and Kennedy was just 1-for-7 from the field with two points. Kennedy averaged 15.3 points in three meetings last season.
UCONN FORWARD DANIEL HAMILTON’S TAKE:“Markus Kennedy is a great player who beat us up on the court last year. You know Shonn bringing that physical post play and he played big tonight just like Amida played big tonight. We needed our bigs to play big tonight and that’s what really helped us out a lot. We got defensive rebounds and executed on the other end.”
2. FINISHING THE JOB: After losing double-digit leads late in the second half to Temple and Tulsa, the Huskies didn’t waiver when SMU made a late charge. Freshman Jalen Adams, Brimah and Hamilton (14 points) all made key baskets in the final9:05to make sure UConn never lost the lead. Hamilton hit a jumper with 48 seconds to make it a 66-62 game and then added two foul shots at the end, following a rebound of a missed 3-pointer by Sterling Brown.
SMU COACH LARRY BROWN’S TAKE: “We just lost to a team that happened to make the plays that we didn’t. … I’ve watched them and they’re getting better. I think that’s a tribute to the coach, and the character of their kids.”
3. FREE AND EASY: Brimah has been saddled with foul trouble since returning from a broken finger that caused him to miss 11 games, but against the Mustangs he played 16 first-half minutes without committing one. That allowed him to stay on the floor in the second half without worry and it was a huge difference.
BRIMAH’S TAKE: “I was surprised I didn’t have any fouls in the first half. Since I didn’t have any fouls, I was playing my heart out.”
4. NO COMFORT ZONE: In addition to keeping Kennedy off the glass, the Huskies also made things difficult for SMU point guard Nic Moore, who finished with 14 points (6-for-14 shooting) after putting up 25 on Gonzaga over the weekend.
UCONN COACH KEVIN OLLIE’S TAKE: “We a good job on Nic Moore. … The last three games he’s been averaging 23 and to hold him to 14 points and make everything difficult for him, and when he did make a shot, it was going to the basket when he had to make a tear drop. I just thought our guys did a great job.
WHAT NEEDS WORK
1. SHAKY SHOOTERS: While some of the younger Huskies stepped up, two veterans had an off night in Sterling Gibbs (2-for-6, five points) and Rodney Purvis (1-for-6, three points). And the team was off from the perimeter, making just 5 of 19 attempts to finish at 26.3 percent.
NOTES: The Huskies finished with 10 assists and seven turnovers, while SMU had 15 and 10. UConn scored 12 points off the turnovers. .. The Mustangs narrowly won the rebound battle 35-33, but the Huskies held them to just 12 offensive boards and five second-chance points. …SMU led The American in scoring (79.4), field goal percentage (50.1, 5th NCAA) and 3-point percentage (42.3, 3rd NCAA) coming in. … This was the Huskies last game in Hartford for the regular season. UConn still hosts Houston (Feb. 28) and Central Florida (March 6) at Gampel Pavilion. … Prior to the game, Purvis received a commemorative ball from Ollie for scoring his 1,000thcollege point, which came against Tulsa on Saturday, … Sam Cassell Jr. (shin splints) saw his first action after sitting the last four games. The junior guard briefly played in the first half.