Rapid Recap: Huskies continue winning ways against Le Moyne
3 games, 3 wins for the UConn Huskies.
It was another dazzling win in front of another large XL Center crowd, as the team took down Le Moyne <N>. Off an incredible second-half surge, the team showcased the potential of what coach Dan Hurley is hoping to be the squad to earn a third straight National Championship.
Similar to Connecticut’s last matchup against New Hampshire, the team did struggle mightily in the first half to really carve out some momentum, shooting 25% from beyond the arc and having some cold stretches on the offensive end with some unfortunate misses. If it weren’t for the team’s strong defensive presence, a fact that was showcased by the Dolphins’ offensive struggles, the team certainly wouldn’t have had their 38-19 lead at the half.
How great were UConn’s defensive numbers in the first half? I could point to Le Moyne’s 27.6% shooting from the field, 18% shooting from 3, or even the fact that the Huskies held the Dolphins to 0 points between the first and second media timeouts. But, regardless of the matter, it helped translate into some positive offensive possessions as the first half clocked down. The Huskies secured a 22-12 points in the paint advantage and outrebounded Le Moyne 24-13 on the boards.
The team was also able to have a 15-3 advantage for bench points, mostly thanks to the play of veteran Hassan Diarra, who brought his usual spark and energetic play in 12 first-half minutes. His play on both ends of the floor for Connecticut was massive and ended up being instrumental in this squad’s 38-19 halftime lead.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a UConn article this season if Alex Karaban wasn’t mentioned. The redshirt junior poured in 11 points, mostly off some tough inside scoring from the beloved Husky.
Fortunately for the Huskies, as has become customary in these early contests, the team came out of the halftime break guns ablaze. The team made 6 of their initial 8 early shots and much of that offensive firepower can be chalked up to the freshman-sophomore duo of Liam McNeeley and Solo Ball. The latter Husky was perhaps the most impressive with a ridiculous one-handed slam that electrified the entire city of Hartford. The former Husky had it going from downtown with a nice look from beyond the arc that extended Connecticut’s lead to 22.
The second half progressed as smoothly as possible from there for the Huskies, with Ball leading the way after dropping 12 second-half points on 4-5 shooting from the field, including 2 steals. In general, the team shot a much improved 62.5% shooting from the field and 47.1% from beyond the arc.
Karaban too continued his fantastic start to the season with 17 points on 7-11 shooting. To begin the year, the star forward is shooting a scorching 55% from three-point land after going 3-7 against Le Moyne.
In conclusion, aside from the win, fans have been able to learn a bit about this roster. The team’s depth is truly showing positive signs in a big way from Ball’s contributions tonight to Tarris Reed Jr. playing big minutes at the five. While the competition may not be close to the highest that Connecticut will see this season, there’s plenty to be hype about as a UConn fan this season.