UConn takes care of business at ’Nova
Philadelphia — UConn has just looked different — more determined, more confident and more lethal — in recent weeks.
No wonder the 14th-ranked Huskies closed the regular season with all the momentum of a boulder rolling down a steep hill.
They won for the eighth time in nine games, including their fifth straight, by cooling off and beating Villanova, 71-59, at Wells Fargo Center. It was their first road win in the series since 2012.
UConn seized command late in the first half and maintained a comfortable edge until hitting the finish line.
At 24-7 overall, they've posted the most overall wins in coach Dan Hurley's five seasons in Storrs. They'll be either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the Big East tournament, depending on the result of Saturday's late game between Creighton and DePaul.
Sophomore Jordan Hawkins led the way with 24 points, including 19 in the second half, while redshirt Alex Karaban chipped in 16 and junior Andre Jackson added 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
They played winning basketball Saturday, hustling for loose balls, grabbing offensive rebounds to extend possessions and turned up the defensive pressure.
The Huskies built a 32-24 halftime lead and extended it to 42-28 when Hawkins hit a 3-pointer, forcing the Wildcats (16-15, 10-10) to call a timeout with 16:41 remaining.
They remained in charge at 46-31. Villanova tried to chip away at the deficit by doing what it usually does by drawing fouls and getting to the foul line. The WIldcats are the nation's top free throw shooting team.
A 14-point lead slipped to 52-43 when Cam Whitmore's basket with 7:35 left.
The Huskies held on, sinking foul shots down the stretch.
They won the first meeting 74-66 on Dec. 28 in Hartford. But the Wildcats have since welcomed back veteran Justin Moore from injury and are healthier overall, winning six of their last six entering Saturday's Big East battle.
Both teams engaged in a physical Big East tug-of-war at the start.
The Huskies pulled ahead early. Then the Wildcats pulled back.
Neither team could gain an edge for long.
UConn finally gained an advantage, going on a 10-1 run to turn a two-point deficit into a 27-20 lead.