By BRENDAN McGAIR
Special to ZAGSBLOG
STORRS, Conn. – Nothing like sticking knife in your opponent’s back on the way out the door.
Taking the floor one final time as a Big East men’s basketball participant, Connecticut authored an emotional and appropriate final chapter Saturday against a Providence squad that was starting to gain steam in the NCAA Tournament conversation. Instead, the Huskies turned out the lights in a thrilling 63-59 overtime verdict at Gampel Pavillion that left the Friars (17-13 overall, 9-9 in Big East play) with some serious heavy lifting to do at next week’s Big East Tournament.
In essence, Saturday’s contest against PC was UConn’s version of a scene normally reserved for Madison Square Garden in early March. The postseason-ineligible Huskies were also basketball’s version of the walking wounded with Omar Calhoun (wrist) and Tyler Orlander (broken foot) sitting on coach Kevin Ollie’s bench in street clothes. Guard Shabazz Napier was cleared shortly before the noontime tip-off after missing UConn’s previous two games with foot discomfort.
“He had no lateral movement,” Ollie pointed out about Napier. “I thought we were down to six players, but we were going to fight and try to get a win.”
Despite the bum wheel, Napier was plenty effective against the Friars. The junior from Roxbury, Mass. provided Ollie with 44 tough minutes that saw him collect 16 points,
eight rebounds, four steals and four assists. Ryan Boatright’s miraculous 3-point play with 19 seconds remaining in the extra session was the cherry on top of a 23-point sundae while sophomore DeAndre Daniels continued his strong of late, burning Providence both inside and outside for 19 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
“Those kids are very good players and played with pride and determination,” said PC coach head coach Ed Cooley. “Give them credit, they made plays to win the game.”
UConn’s talented trio combined for all but five of the team’s points. After the final horn hounded and Ollie & Co. had secured their 20th victory and 10th in the Big East, an on-court ceremony was held to thank a group of young men that busted their collective tales despite knowing heading into the season that there would be no postseason, the result of academic troubles.
“The resolve and resilience they showed, I couldn’t be happier and I hope they stick together,” said Ollie.
With his first year as the Huskies’ head man behind him, Ollie’s look at the future also included the seismic shift that awaits this proud program. The America 12 beckons for Connecticut with games against Syracuse, Georgetown and St. John’s replaced with matchups against Memphis, Temple and Central Florida.
“I love my athletic director (Warde Manuel) and his passion and I’m just along for the ride. I know he’s going to take us to great places and I just can’t wait,” stated Ollie, whose Huskies fared much better in the rebounding department, winning the battle of the boards, 39-38, after the Friars owned the glass in the season’s first meeting (55-24).
While UConn’s last hurrah in the Big East proved sweet, PC departed Storrs with a sour taste in its collective mouth. Falling in overtime to the Huskies for the second time this winter, the Friars spent most of the contest stuck in neutral. The backcourt of Vincent Council and Bryce Cotton combined to shoot 7-for-25, 1-for-12 from 3-point territory. A preseason first team all-Big East selection, Council (six points in 42 minutes) turned the ball over five times and was badly fooled on a Napier 3-pointer at the top of the game. Spinning around completely, Napier swished a trey that put Connecticut up 53-50 with 3:23 remaining.
Cotton’s quiet afternoon – nine points for the Big East’s top point producer in 45 minutes – was due to the glove work of Connecticut’s R.J. Evans. The transfer from Holy Cross was honored prior to the game as part of “Senior Day” festivities, then went out and smothered Cotton as part of 42 minutes of stinginess.
“R.J. made every catch and screen tough for Bryce,” said Ollie. “When Bryce shoots it, he can rattle them off. He can hit three or four in a row. They got up as many as (four points with 12:17 left in the second half), but there weren’t any dagger threes that he seems to come up with.”
Despite letting a 55-53 lead slip away late in regulation, the Friars had a chance to
prevent the game from drifting into OT. Holding the ball at the top of the key, Cotton made his move inside five seconds before swinging the ball to LaDontae Henton, who was bottled up on the left block. The Huskies gobbled up the loose ball and called timeout with 1.1 seconds remaining, but the last ditch attempt yielded nothing. Five additional minutes were put on the scoreboard with the Friars and Huskies all even at 55-apiece.
UConn scored the first four points of the extra session before a putback by freshman Josh Fortune (10 points and two 3-pointers) brought the Friars to within 59-57. A Connecticut turnover turned into two free throws by Henton to square matters with 45.8 seconds flashing on the scoreboard.
With nine seconds on the shot clock, Boatright got Cotton to bite for a dagger of a shot that sent the 10,167 paying customers into hysteria. Boatright added the free throw to stretch the lead to three, which is what Cotton attempted and missed with 10 seconds left.
After scoring six points on four shots in the first 20 minutes, PC junior Kadeem Batts came alive to post 14 points and 12 rebounds – his fifth double double in 2012-13. Playing in his first and quite possibly his last college game in the state of Connecticut, New Haven native and PC freshman Kris Dunn had 11 points and four rebounds before fouling out in overtime.
It’s now off to the Big Apple for Friars, who following Saturday’s disappointment will need to make a major statement at Madison Square Garden just to enter the NCAA’s bubble discussion. Should PC end up being a one-and-done casualty in NYC, it’s prospects for the National Invitational Tournament could prove shaky as well.
Photo credit: AP
