Polley, Martin lead UConn over Butler
James Bouknight didn’t play, Akok Akok did (but only briefly), and UConn’s point guards didn’t provide a whole lot of production.
Fortunately for the Huskies, Tyler Polley remained on fire and Tyrese Martin joined the fun in a 72-60 win over Butler on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Polley hit five 3-pointers for the second straight game, including all four in the opening half, en route to a game-high 19 points. Martin added 15 points and seven rebounds.
UConn (6-1, 3-1 Big East) led by five at halftime, thanks largely to Polley’s 12 points, but quickly extended that to as much as 18 (54-36) within the first nine minutes of the latter half. UConn spread the wealth around a bit better, as six different players scored within that span.
Butler (3-6, 2-4) chipped away and got to within 10 (58-48) with a little over six minutes to play. But Polley hit his first 3-pointer of the latter half, kicking off a personal 7-0 run, and Isaiah Whaley swatted away consecutive Butler shots during one 12-second span to secure the victory.
Whaley and Brendan Adams added nine points apiece and point guard R.J. Cole added seven points
and seven rebounds.
The Bulldogs, who entered the game averaging just over 10 turnovers per game, turned the ball over 15 times.
UConn owned a 33-28 lead at halftime, though it felt like it should have been more. The Huskies outshot and outrebounded the Bulldogs over the first 20 minutes, but turned the ball over 10 times, leading to 13 Butler points.
UConn turned the ball over just twice in the latter half.
Polley bounced off the bench three minutes into the game and quickly banked a 3-pointer, the first of four straight he made en route to a game-high 12 points at the break.
Between the second half of Tuesday’s comeback win over Marquette (23 points), and Saturday’s opening half, Polley was 12-for-14 from the floor and 9-for-10 from 3-point land for 35 points.
RIM RATTLINGS
⏩ Akok, who tore his left Achilles about a minute into a bout with Memphis on Feb. 16, kicking off an 11-month rehab process, checked into the game during a timeout at 11:14 of the first half. Thirty-two seconds lafter, he took a pass from Tyrese Martin for a two-handed dunk in the lane. Those would be Akok’s only points for the game in six minutes of action.
⏩ Bouknight, the Big East’s leading scorer at 20.3 points per game, watched the game from the bench in civilian clothes.