UConn men look to take another step forward
Huskies can take over third place in AAC with victory over Houston
Falling behind by double digits in the second half of a college basketball game more often than not leads to defeat.
Yet UConn has found itself in that tenuous position against the last two opponents, trailing by 10 at Temple on Sunday and 15 against Memphis last Thursday after intermission ... and still survived.
The Huskies fought back on both occasions to rally for vital victories, helping to fuel a surge that's seen them win seven of their last eight, including a season-best four straight.
"We don't like being down, but if we're down it's not foreign to us," sophomore Jalen Adams said. "We've been there, so we're definitely going to fight to come back."
UConn's ability to close out tight games is one big reason why it is in position to take over sole possession of third place in the American Athletic Conference on Wednesday (9 p.m., CBS Sports Network) with a win at Houston (18-8, 9-5), which shares the spot.
The Huskies (14-12, 9-5) have won their last three games by a combined seven points, including Sunday's 6463 victory at Temple.
Let's just say they've gotten the attention of the rest of the league.
"We've got a great opportunity against a really hot Connecticut team," said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson to the media after his team lost to No. 17 SMU on Saturday. "They are playing really well now. They got their kids back and playing again.
"We have to step up and play good."
Prior to Saturday's loss, Houston was one of the AAC's hottest team, riding a five-game winning streak. But, like the Huskies, the Cougars have struggled to beat SMU and Cincinnati, going 0-3 against the league's top two teams.
In the first meeting between the two teams, Houston posted a 62-46 victory in Hartford on Dec. 28. It was an ugly performance by the Huskies, who scored only 12 points in the first half — their second lowest output since 1980 — and trailed by 24 at the break. The 46 points remain a season low.
In a rare occurrence, some UConn fans booed the team, which shot just 33.3 percent from the field.
"If they want to boo, they can boo," coach Kevin Ollie said after the most lopsided home loss of the season. "But we're going to continue to have faith. We're going to continue to have fight. We've just got to play harder . ... We're going to turn this around." Ollie's words proved prophetic. Unlike the first Houston game when Adams sat out with a concussion, UConn will have its play-making point guard available. Adams has emerged as the team's best and most clutch player. He became the first Husky to earn AAC player of the week honors after his impact performance last week. He scored 17 of his teamhigh 19 points in the second half against Memphis and then converted a driving layup for the game-winning basket with 2.9 seconds left at Temple.
For Houston, it primarily leans on backcourt partners Rob Gray and Damyean Dotson, who've combined to account for 37.8 points of their team's 75.0 scoring average and rank first and fourth, respectively, in overall scoring in the AAC. Gray leads the conference at 20.6 points per game.
No other Cougar averages in double figures, so containing that high scoring duo is a priority. Houston is also the top 3-point shooting team in the AAC, so UConn must defend the perimeter, well, too.
A stingy defense is the backbone of UConn's recent success. Perhaps more than any season in his head coaching tenure, Kevin Ollie has mixed in a zone to frustrate foes. It's worked well, especially for a team dealing with a short-handed roster.
During their four-game winning streak, the Huskies have limited opponents to 59.7 points and 38 percent from the field.
"I feel like we can defend any team in the country, that's the mindset we have," freshman Christian Vital said. "We don't play one on one defense, it's five on five. We make sure we have each other's backs."
Wednesday's game is part of a difficult regular-season ending stretch for the Huskies, who also host SMU (Saturday) and No. 15 Cincinnati (March 5). Their other game is at East Carolina on March 1. g.keefe@theday.com