UConn, SCSU will play exhibition on Nov. 2

For the second time since Scott Burrell took over as Southern Connecticut's head coach, UConn and SCSU will play in an exhibition game this season.

The teams will play on Friday, Nov. 2, most likely at Gampel Pavilion, according to sources. It will be UConn's only exhibition open to the public. The Huskies will also play a closed-door exhibition against an undisclosed opponent.

Burrell, who took over as Southern's head coach in 2015, has worked hard to get an exhibition game against his alma mater in each of his first four seasons at the helm. This will be the fifth time UConn and Southern have played and the fourth time as an exhibition. The last meeting was on Nov. 5, 2016, in Burrell's second season as the Owls' head coach. The Huskies won that game, 94-65.

UConn notched exhibition wins over Southern in 2013 and 2014, as well. The only time they played in the regular season was during the Huskies' “Dream Season” on Dec. 23, 1989 — the penultimate on-campus home game UConn would play in the old Field House. The Huskies rolled to a 100-37 rout; Burrell had nine points in 21 minutes for UConn.

Also, after a one-year hiatus, UConn will resume its First Night festivities on Friday, Oct. 12. The Huskies didn't have a First Night last season for the first time in recent memory due to ongoing renovations to Gampel Pavilion's roof.

Teams are allowed to begin practices six weeks before their first game, so UConn can officially begin on Thursday, Sept. 27 — though it's not certain that they will start that day. The Huskies can have 30 practices in the 42 days leading up to their season opener on Thursday, Nov. 8 against Morehead State.

It has yet to be determined whether first-year coach Dan Hurley will continue the tradition of the Husky Run, an annual 2.1-mile run through campus that Jim Calhoun began 30 years ago.