The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Huskies upset Orange
UConn hits 12 3-pointers to sink Syracuse
NEW YORK — They’re back!
Led by a barrage of 3pointers and a where-didthat-come-from performance by Eric Cobb, UConn scored an impressive, 83-76 victory over old rival Syracuse on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
Cobb had 13 points and 13 rebounds and was one of five players in double figures for the Huskies, who improved to 3-0.
Jalen Adams and Alterique Gilbert each had 16 points, Tarin Smith added 14 off the bench and Christian Vital added 11 in the Huskies’ well-balanced attack.
UConn hit 12 of 21 3pointers.
The Huskies were clearly the better team in the first half and held a 38-32 lead at the break, despite five players with at least two fouls.
UConn upped its lead to as much as 13 midway through the latter half. Led by the shooting of Jalen Carey and Elijah Hughes, the Orange got to within four (70-66) after a Tyus Battle 3-pointer with 3:22 left to play.
But Gilbert countered with a long 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down, Adams added another trey and UConn held on, despite some spotty foul shooting down the stretch.
No. 15 Syracuse, which was without starting point guard Frank Howard, fell to 2-1.
When Gilbert hit Adams for an alley-oop dunk 13 seconds into the game, it
was immediately clear UConn meant business. The Huskies burst out of the gates brimming with energy, charging out to a 13-4 lead started by Adams’ dunk and capped by Christian Vital’s tough, fallaway bank.
Syracuse never led in the first half, but had it tied at 20 before Cobb became Superman. In the span of three minutes, the senior forward scored on a reverse layup, a pretty jump hook and a lefty drive to the hole, then took a charge on the other end of the floor.
All that was left was a 3-pointer — and sure enough, Cobb drained one from the corner with 4:07 left in the half to give the Huskies a 32-25 lead.
UConn led 38-32 at the break.The Orange shot 9-for-30 from the floor and hit just one of nine 3-pointers. The only thing keeping them in the game was a steady line to the foul line. Syracuse took 18 foul shots in the first half, hitting 13. At the break, Kassoum Yakwe had three fouls and Josh Carlton, Tyler Polley, Gilbert, Brendan Adams and Vital had two apiece.
RIM RATTLINGS
⏩ UConn will play in the 2019 Charleston Classic on Nov. 21, 22 and 24 in Charleston, South Carolina.
Joining the Huskies in the in-season tournament will be Xavier, Florida, Miami (Fla.), Missouri State, Penn State, Saint Joseph’s and Towson. It will be the 12th year of the event, but the first time UConn has participated.
Fans can secure up to a $25 discount on all tournament tickets by signing up for an exclusive discounted pre-sale on www.charlestonclassic.com. Those who sign up between now and Sunday, Nov. 25, will receive first access to purchase tickets at a discount before they go on sale to the general public in July.
Additional information, including travel packages, can be found at www.charlestonclassic.com.
⏩ Many of the top prep players in the country will play in the National Prep Showcase this weekend at Albertus Magnus College, including recent UConn signee James Bouknight and recruiting targets Akok Akok, Tre Mitchell and Terrence Clarke.
Bouknight, 6-5 shooting guard from MacDuffie School who committed to UConn in September and signed his national letter of intent on Wednesday, will play on Sunday at 1:45 p.m. against Scotland Campus, which features UConn target Karim Couilably, a forward. Akok, the Class of 2019 big man from Putnam Science Academy, will play on Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 5:45 p.m. He has recently stated that he’s considering skipping college and entering the 2019 NBA draft.
Mitchell, a 6-9 forward from Woodstock Academy, will play on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:15 p.m. Mitchell’s Woodstock teammate, shooting guard Matt Cross, also holds an offer from UConn.
Clarke, a 2021 five-star shooting guard from Brewster Academy, plays on Friday at 4:45 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.