Big win, tougher loss
Huskies tame Tigers, but lose Akok Akok to injury
HARTFORD — The sellout crowd was getting rowdy, UConn was in the midst of a tight battle with a talented Memphis squad, and there on the Huskies’ bench sat Akok Akok.
The freshman forward was still sporting his full UConn uniform — he’s probably sleep with it on, if he could. He was also sporting a walking boot on his left foot, a pair of crutches to his side.
Akok’s season was over, due to an Achilles tendon injury suffered within the first minute of
UConn’s eventual 64-61 win over Memphis at the XL Center. The medical staff was suggesting he go to a nearby hospital for an MRI, but Akok wanted to stay with his teammates on the bench and watch the remainder of the game.
That, in a nutshell, is Akok Akok.
“Just seeing him out there says a lot about him,” junior center Josh Carlton said. “Akok loves his team, loves the game of basketball.”
That love is requited by Akok’s teammates and coaches, who took several minutes to overcome the emotions of losing their brother for the season, then rallied to a victory dedicated to the 6-foot-9 forward.
“Just proud of the way the guys fought, and the character that we showed,” said Dan Hurley, his voice breaking, tears welling in his eyes. “It’s a big win, obviously, but there’s no joy in it when something like that happens in the first minute.”
Hurley is as emotional as a coach can get on the sidelines. Look no further than his extensive collection of technical fouls (he added another on Sunday). He couldn’t control his sorrow in the minutes after the Huskies improved to 14-11 overall, 5-7 in the AAC.
“Sports is brutal sometimes, life is brutal sometimes,” Hurley noted. “It’s hard with any of these guys, even a guy that drives you nuts the most. But ... (Akok) hasn’t played perfect games, but his approach every day is perfect. It sucks.”
Akok’s injury occurred — fittingly, if that’s the proper term — on a blocked shot by the AAC’s leading shot-blocker. He swatted away Precious Achiuwa’s shot 56 seconds into the game, then came down on his left leg, immediately started hopping around, then crumbled to the floor in pain.
He tried to get up, but couldn’t put any pressure on his left leg.
Teammate Sid Wilson and student assistant coach Mamadou Diarra eventually carried him off the court to the locker room.
“He was revved up to have a special day,” said Hurley. “I know he wanted to win that matchup (with Achiuwa) today. He timed that kid’s shot perfectly.”
Akok remained on the bench the remainder of the first half. He was still in the locker room through the first minutes of the latter half, but eventually returned to the bench, still in uniform. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday.
As if inspired by the loss of their teammate, several Husky players stepped up. Carlton grabbed a seasonhigh 13 rebounds, while Isaiah Whaley finished with a career-best six blocks — all in the second half.
“When you lose a shotblocker like Akok, somebody has to pick up the mantle,” said Whaley. “That’s what I tried to do.”
But it was Christian Vital and James Bouknight, a
senior and a freshman, who stepped up the most. The pair combined for 40 points, 29 of them in the second half, as they came up with nearly every big basket and play over the final 10 minutes — none bigger than Bouknight’s acrobatic putback of a Vital missed 3-pointer with 56 seconds left that gave UConn a six-point lead.
Memphis led by five when Vital scored on a stickback, then hit a corner 3-pointer with 10:07 left to tie the game. It was pretty much back-and-forth the rest of the way. With 3:06 left, Vital came up with a steal, then fired a bullet up the floor to Bouknight, who rammed home a tremendous dunk and was fouled. He completed the threepoint play to give the Huskies a 55-50 lead.
Memphis would get to within two (60-58) on an Achiuwa tip-in off an inbounds pass with 10.1 seconds left. Vital hit a pair of free throws, but Tyler Harris countered with a 3pointer with 1.9 seconds left to pull the Tigers to within a point.
But Vital hit a pair of free throws to seal the deal.
“We won the game for (Akok),” said Bouknight, who finished with 17 points on 6-for-18 shooting. “He’s tough, he’s a warrior, he’s gonna be good. Can’t wait for him to get back.”
That will almost certainly have to wait until next season.
“Akok will come back from this,” Hurley promised, “and be that special player that he is destined to be.”
Added Carlton: “We just (told him) we love him, we’re gonna be there for him, we’re gonna have him back next year in the Big East.”
And without question, Akok Akok will be there all the way for his teammates, cheering from the bench, sporting a walking boot and, if he could, probably his UConn uniform, as well.
“We got the win for him,” said Carlton. “It meant a lot. Even with his full jersey on, he really wanted to be a part of what was going on. He loves everybody, everybody loves him.”
RIM RATTLINGS
Vital hit three 3-pointers and is now tied with Ben Gordon for third on UConn’s all-time list, with 246.
The officiating crew of Jeff Anderson, Pat Adams and Steven Anderson had some history with the Huskies. Jeff Anderson was part of the crew that botched the substitution rule at the end of UConn’s Jan. 23 loss at Houston that forced coach Dan Hurley to keep walk-on Temi Aiyegbusi in the game. Aiyegbusi wound up missing the game-winning shot.
Adams, meanwhile, ejected Hurley and Tulsa coach Frank Haith from a game on Jan. 16, 2019 in Tulsa.
Shabazz Napier was in attendance, sitting behind the UConn bench. He was introduced to the crowd during one second half timeout, to thunderous applause. Fellow former Husky standouts Jalen Adams and Kentan Facey were seated next to Napier and had been introduced to the crowd earlier in the game.
Six NBA scouts were at Sunday’s game, two from the Celtics and one each from the Jazz, Spurs, Thunder and Mavericks.