The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Huskies extend win streak to 95 straight
STORRS » Three games, three wins in six days with six players.
“That,” said UConn coach Kevin Ollie, “is my definition of perseverance.”
It may not be the most miraculous run in Husky history, but UConn upped its winning streak to three games on Saturday night with a come-from-behind, 78-68 win over Tulane before 7,207 at Gampel Pavilion.
It’s the longest winning streak of the season for the Huskies, who had beaten East Carolina at home on Sunday and South Florida on the road on Wednesday. Granted, the three wins came against teams with a combined league record of 3-23. But UConn, whose injury woes have been well-chronicled, were essentially down to just six scholarship players for all three games.
“How they did that, cheering each other on, encouraging each other, practicing hard,” said Ollie. “It’s just a phenomenal feat by these guys.”
UConn improved to 10-11 overall and 5-4 in the AAC. Tulane fell to 4-17, 1-8.
It wasn’t easy. In fact, it was a lot more difficult than it probably should have been. But Kentan Facey and Amida Brimah posted huge games before each fouling out, and UConn ral-
back from as much as a 13-point deficit to notch the win. Facey went for 20 points and 12 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season, while Brimah added 18 and eight in 21 foulplagued minutes.
“When everybody plays with energy,” said Brimah, the 7-foot center, “we’re unstoppable.”
Christian Vital, a 6-foot-1 freshman guard, also notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards, to go with five assists and no turnovers.
“That’s what the team needed out of me tonight,” said Vital. “My role is to be productive and be solid for us. That’s just me playing hard, making plays.”
The Huskies got off to another one of their patented slow starts, allowing Tulane to jump out to a 26-13 start as the Green Wave hit 9 of their first 15 shots. UConn would rally back to tie and trailed 36-34 at halftime, but Tulane wasn’t finished. The Green Wave quickly jumped back out to a seven-point lead and stayed ahead until a Brimah alley-oop dunk tied the game at 50 midway through the half.
A pair of Brimah free throws gave UConn its first lead since 2-0, and after Tulane went back up 5652 on a Melvin Frazier layup with 7:56 left, the Huskies unleashed a head-spinning, 17-0 run to salt the game away.
Rodney Purvis added 14 points and Jalen Adams survived a rough (3-for-15) shooting night and had eight.
“(Vital) really took up the slack for Jalen struggling from the field,” Ollie pointed out.
All five starters hit double figures for Tulane, led by Frazier’s 14.
And now, after three wins in six days with six players, the Huskies get an even more welcome number: a six-day break in between games, their longest of the AAC season. The Huskies don’t play again until Saturday, when they face firstplace, 19th-ranked Cincinnati on the road. With forwards Steve Enoch and Juwan Durham out due to foot injuries for the past week, it will be a welcomed respite for UConn.
“Definitely,” said Brimah. “We need this break to take care of our bodies.”
Added Ollie: “It definitely comes at a great time. Hopefully we can get some guys healthy, get Steve back, Juwan back. Just some healthy bodies, because we know it’s gonna be a war down in Cincinnati.
“But I think our guys are ready for it.”