UConn Takes First Step Towards Saving Season With Win Over UCF

The national title defense has been a rough road for the UConn Huskies, as inconsistencies have led them to a 7-5 non-conference record that only has wins over Dayton and Florida to hang their hat on. That makes AAC play that much more important for UConn, and they took the first step towards saving their season with Thursday’s 67-60 win over Central Florida.

UConn was coming off back to back disappointing road losses against Tulsa and Stanford, wins that would have been huge for their resume. Being back in Gampel Pavilion did wonders for the Huskies, who improved to 10-7 overall and 3-2 in conference play with the win. The key to the win was perimeter play, as UConn made a season high 11 three pointers while shooting a red hot 55% from behind the arc.

Ryan Boatright turned in another strong game with 18 points and 7 assists, while Omar Calhoun provided offensive spark in his second straight start by scoring 11 points on 4-9 shooting, including 3-5 from three. Most impressive was freshman Daniel Hamilton, who once again stuffed the box score with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals.

This was a crucial win for a UConn team that’s in rough shape as far as their NCAA Tournament candidacy goes. Given the relative weakness of the AAC, the conference is only likely to have about three spots in the tournament. With teams like Tulsa, SMU, and Cincinnati out in front, UConn needs to play catch-up. They will have to come pretty close to running the table to have a chance as an at large team, and it could come down to winning the AAC Tournament.

The Huskies have what should be a straightforward game against South Florida coming up Saturday, and those are the type of games they can’t afford to blow. Following that is a huge road showdown with Cincinnati, a game that could make or break UConn’s season. It is crucial that the Huskies continue their strong offensive performance from the UCF game against South Florida, giving them some momentum as they face a quality Cincinnati team.

The first half of the season didn’t go the way UConn wanted it to, but they still have a chance to right the ship and play their way back into the tournament. Beating Central Florida was a big first step, and now the Huskies have to keep the momentum going and build a long win streak in the AAC.

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