UConn beats DePaul 81-69
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Connecticut guard Ryan Boatright (11) — who is from Aurora — controls the ball against DePaul guard Charles McKinney (32) during the game Saturday night in Rosemont. Connecticut won 81-69. Associated Press |
ROSEMONT — Shabazz Napier scored 28 points, Ryan Boatright and Omar Calhoun added 17 apiece, and Connecticut beat DePaul 81-69 on Saturday night.
The Huskies (19-7, 9-5 Big East) got all they could handle from one of the league's worst teams after squeezing by Cincinnati in overtime, but they still came away with their seventh win in nine games.
They trailed by three points at the break and were down one early in the second half when they scored 13 straight to take control and send the Blue Demons (11-16, 2-12) to their 11th loss in 12 games.
Napier, who scored 27 against Cincinnati, came up big again, hitting 5 of 7 3-pointers and keying the decisive rally.
Calhoun delivered down the stretch, scoring all but two of his points in the second half.
For the game, Calhoun and Boatright, who is from Aurora, both shot 7 of 11 from the field, and the Huskies shot 60 percent. Even so, they were still trailing 47-46 about five minutes into the second half when they finally started to put this one away.
Napier nailed a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play on a fast-break layup to start the decisive run. Niels Giffey added a corner 3 and finished it with a layup after Calhoun scored on the break, making it 59-47 with 11:28 to go.
The Huskies stayed in control the rest of the way.
DePaul got 20 points and 10 rebounds from Cleveland Melvin and shot 48 percent, but they were just 5 of 15 on 3-pointers. Brandon Young, who scored a career-high 35 in a loss at Connecticut last month, finished with 13 this time.
The Blue Demons were in good shape at the half, taking a 37-34 lead to the locker room after they wiped out a 29-22 deficit.
Melvin buried a 3 to start a 12-0 run and had an emphatic fast-break dunk. Charles McKinney had a layup and 3 during that stretch, and Donnavan Kirk finished it with a jumper to make it 34-29 with two minutes remaining.
Then, after a jumper by Boatright and 3 by Napier to tie it, Young drove for a three-point play in the closing seconds to send DePaul to the locker room with the lead.
UConn went on a run early in the second half to take a four-point lead, but Melvin tied it at 45 with a pair of dunks. He also hit a baseline jumper to put DePaul ahead 47-46 before the Huskies took control.
