No. 4 UConn proved slightly little bit of hydration can go a good distance in a Dec. 21 win over DePaul.
The Huskies (12-1, 2-0 Large East) had been struggling when junior guard Silas Demary Jr. abruptly needed to go away the ground. He got here again sturdy, nonetheless, to guide the Huskies to a 72-54 win.
UConn takes the ground once more Wednesday when it travels to Cincinnati to tackle Xavier (9-4, 1-1) in a Large East matchup.
Because it seems, Demary was simply dehydrated. The junior guard completed with 13 factors, seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and solely two turnovers.
The Georgia switch’s efficiency was key for the Huskies, who had been lacking main scorer Solo Ball due to an injured wrist.
“Silas is a kind of guys that’s just like the quarterback on the ground,” UConn coach Dan Hurley mentioned. “What he has delivered to our program’s identification is past the numbers. He has modified our entire identification. The delicate identification we had as a defensive workforce … he modified all that for us.
“His strategy is actual good,” Hurley continued. “We’d like him to be extra assertive and extra aggressive, however with Solo out, we would have liked him to create extra scoring alternatives.”
Ball, who’s averaging 15.4 factors per recreation, will play towards Xavier, Hurley mentioned on Monday.
Demary is averaging 9 factors and 4.7 rebounds and leads the Huskies with 75 complete assists in 13 video games.
Senior ahead Alex Karaban had a game-high 21 factors towards DePaul and averages 13.6 factors and 5.3 rebounds per recreation this season.
Tarris Reed Jr. had 14 factors and a game-high 11 rebounds towards DePaul. The senior middle averages 14.5 factors and seven.5 rebounds.
Reed and freshman middle Eric Reibe share the workforce lead with 18 blocks every. Karaban has blocked 14 photographs.
Xavier is coming off an 80-77 street win over Georgetown on Dec. 20 when the Musketeers gained regardless of an enormous drawback on the free-throw line.
The Hoyas made 25 of 43 free throws, whereas the Musketeers took solely 14 foul photographs, making 11.
“I inform my workforce on a regular basis you can’t win on this league if you happen to do not win the toughness battle,” Xavier coach Richard Pitino mentioned. “We do not power the refs to name fouls. It’s a must to power the refs to decide by being aggressive.”
It was the Musketeers’ fourth win by 5 factors or much less.
“Whenever you actually worth the ball, you win video games like that,” Pitino mentioned. “They’ve a calmness to them and so they simply appear to discover a strategy to make an enormous shot down the stretch.”
Senior ahead Tre Carroll, who transferred after enjoying three seasons at Florida Atlantic, leads the Musketeers with 16.5 factors per recreation and in addition averages 5.6 rebounds. He has additionally blocked 10 photographs.
“(Carroll) actually has had some wonderful moments,” Pitino mentioned. “He has been terrific down the stretch.”
Senior guard Roddie Anderson III averages 12.7 factors per recreation and sophomore ahead Jovan Milicevic is contributing 11.6 factors and 4.3 rebounds per contest.
Senior ahead Filip Borovicanin is knocking down a team-high 7.5 rebounds per recreation and has blocked 10 photographs.
Xavier outrebounded Georgetown 45-36, which Pitino thinks is essential for his workforce.
“You’ll not win on the market with simply finesse,” he mentioned. “It’s a must to be bodily each night time.”
–Discipline Stage Media
