Hurley returns to coach in 9/11 benefit

Connecticut basketball coach Dan Hurley was teaching high school history at St. Benedict’s in Newark, New Jersey on Sept. 11, 2001, when he looked out the window and saw smoke rising from the World Trade Center across the Hudson River in New York.

“I remember probably within 10 minutes of seeing the smoke, just being called into the auditorium and just the chaos of what was happening on the way into the assembly,” he said. “Then everyone got this message.”

Hurley had just started at the prep school as a teacher and the basketball coach. He returns to Newark Saturday, his first visit back home since taking the Connecticut job.

The Huskies (7-2) will play No. 11 Florida State (7-1) just blocks from St. Benedict’s at the Prudential Center in the Never Forget Tribute Classic.

The event honors those killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and raises money for the education of children who lost parents that day.

UCLA

Marques Johnson, Bill Walton, Adrian Dantley and Austin Carr on the court. Digger Phelps and John Wooden on the sidelines. In those days, Notre Dame vs. UCLA in basketball was one of the sport’s greatest rivalries. From 1960-70, UCLA won five matchups in a row. Time and circumstance eventually ended the series that began in 1952. Saturday night’s nationally televised game at Pauley Pavilion will be the 49th in the series, which UCLA leads 28-20. The schools last met on Dec. 19, 2009 at Notre Dame.

Wichita State

The NCAA denied an appeal by Teddy Allen to play immediately after transferring from West Virginia Friday, forcing the sophomore guard to sit out a season.

Robert Morris

Nneka Ezeigbo scored 18 points and Isabella Posset scored 12 more with four assists but the Colonial (1-7) women were handed a 54-46 loss by visiting Kent State (4-4). Robert Morris led 22-20 at the half but could not hold off a 20-10 third-quarter surge by the Golden Flashes.