University of Connecticut Athletics
Indiana Edges UConn In Men's Basketball Action, 77-73
1/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Hartford, Conn. (January 20, 2007) – Roderick Wilmont hit a short jumper in the paint with 1:06 remaining to give Indiana a lead they would not relinquish and the Hoosiers made all six free throws in the game’s final minute as Indiana defeated the University of Connecticut’s men’s basketball team, 77-73, Saturday afternoon before a sellout crowd of 16,294 at the Hartford Civic Center.
The loss, Connecticut’s fourth in five contests, drops the Husky record to 13-5. The Hoosiers improve to 14-4 win the win.
The Huskies had battled back from an early 14-point deficit to engage the Hoosiers in an exciting, back-and-forth contest. The game was knotted at 64 when Jeff Adrien (Brookline, Mass.) picked up a loose ball in the lane, made the lay-up and was fouled with 3:01 to play. Adrien missed the free throw and Mike White caused the contest’s eighth and final deadlock with two free throws 20 seconds later.
Freshman Stanley Robinson (Birmingham, Ala.) put the Huskies back ahead with two free throws with 2:10 remaining, but Wilmont drilled a three with 1:54 to play to put Indiana ahead, 69-68. Robinson answered with a lay-up off of a pass from Jerome Dyson (Rockville, Md.) to give the Huskies their last lead with 1:32 to go. After Wilmont made his key hoop, Doug Wiggins (East Hartford, Conn.) was called for a turnover, and Indiana’s Earl Calloway made two free throws and the Hoosiers were able to hold on for the road win.
Connecticut was paced by Robinson, who scored a career-high 21 points on seven-of-11 shooting. He grabbed nine rebounds and was a perfect six-of-six from the foul line. Adrien registered his eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds. His nine caroms off of the offensive glass represents a career best total. Wiggins, making his first career start, scored eight points and tied his career-high with five assists. Dyson and Marcus Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif.) each had eight points for the Huskies.
Wilmont finished with a game-high 23 points, while D.J. White gave the Huskies fits on the interior with 21 points. Armon Bassett chipped in with 13 points.
Indiana put on a blistering display early in the contest, making their first five three-point attempts in the game’s first seven minutes, leading to a 22-10 Hoosier lead. Indiana increased their advantage to 14, at 26-12 with 10:33 to play before intermission, before the Huskies stormed back. Connecticut went on a 12-2 run over a four-minute stretch as six different Huskies scored two points. The Huskies followed that up with another 12-2 run as Robinson scored seven points, and the Huskies took their biggest lead of the game, 36-31 with 1:49 to play in the first half. Indiana answered with an 8-2 run of their own, but the half ended with Wiggins drilling a three-pointer at the score was tied at 39.
Both teams shot 48 percent from the field, and the Huskies out-rebounded Indiana, 38-22, but the Hoosiers had a distinct advantage from the foul line. Indiana made 20 of 21 charity tosses, while Connecticut was successful on just 17 of 28 attempts.
The Huskies will take to the road for their next contest, venturing to play at Louisville on Monday evening. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m., and the contest will be nationally-televised by ESPN.
POSTGAME QUOTES
UConn Head Coach Jim Calhoun
I want to congratulate Kelvin and his team. They certainly came out and jumped on us and executed exceptionally well. Then they withstood a terrific comeback by our kids.
I’m very proud of our team. But, unfortunately, they made foul shots and we didn’t. When you look at most every other stat, when we couldn’t make shots, we banged the boards – Jeff Adrien had more offensive rebounds than they did as a team. It wasn’t like one of those games where there was lopsided shooting, we both shot 48 percent.
We missed a ton of foul shots at crucial times, didn’t make a couple of big stops, they had a couple of easy hoops in the last two minutes, and that was the game.
I’m very proud of the way we played. I don’t know if we made steps forward or backwards or sideways, but they played their butts off and gave us every bit of effort we needed, they just now have to give us a little better basketball and make foul shots.
Indiana is a legit team.
We got the ball up the floor finally, at the speed that we wanted to, which, hopefully, is going to be contagious for everybody.
I thought, at times were were very gutty. I didn’t think we were great, but we were very gutty. I hope that it continues.
Bottom line, it’s a loss.
I told the kids they can’t play any harder, they just have to come tomorrow at 9:30 for practice to get ready for Louisville, at Louisville, where it’s not going to be quite as easy if you do fall down, like we did today. Because the fans really helped us come back into it. The fans were terrific today.
It’s not a surprise to us, who see him every day, to see him do magical things….when he learns all the things he needs to learn…I said that he’s coming in as special, with a different kind of motor, than Rudy…. The difference between him and Rudy is that his motor is turned up higher.
UConn Sophomore Jeff Adrien
I told the guys in the locker room that we have to get back out there and play in two days. We’re going down to Louisville on Big Monday. It’s not going to be easy but we really need a “W” on the road.
We’ve been giving effort all year. Our effort is there. We just have to turn our effort into results.
On UConn’s rebounding edge
It was a real team effort on the glass. We just went to the boards. I felt like I was the strongest guy on the court. It felt like nobody could really hold me getting rebounds on the offensive side.
UConn Freshman Stanley Robinson
We are just playing more as a team. We gave it our all. We just have to make sure we give it our all right to the end.
We’re not concerned about the talk that we haven’t beaten anybody. We’re a pretty good team. Once we find that chemistry, we’ll be unstoppable.
On where he fits in the offense
It starts with Jeff. I try and help the team out any way I can. We have to play five as one.
Where did that block come from?
Intensity, I guess. Motivation. It came off pretty good. I was just trying to start a spark on the team. I knew he was going to dunk it, so I had to do something about it.
UConn Sophomore Marcus Johnson
On Stanley Robinson’s game
Stanley had a great game. He looked like he shot a very high percentage from the field. He was dunking, hitting jump shots, everything.
Was he the focal point behind the first half run that tied the game?
Definitely. We all played hard, the crowd – the sixth man – was into it once we got a few points, and we just went from there.
On Robinson’s first half block when he came down with the ball
I was on the bench at the time and was like, ‘wow, that was a great play.’ It may have been one of the best blocks I’ve seen.
Every game is learning experience for us. We just have to pull together and put the whole complete package together and we’ll win games. We can’t have mental lapses. Altogether we went hard. We played well. We can’t have slow starts like we did in the first half and the second half. I think it was 13-0, 14-0 in the first half. And they came out the second half with a 5-0 run. We have to come out energetic and ready to play.
UConn Freshman Jerome Dyson
We didn’t hit open shots when we needed to and we just got behind like we don’t want to in the beginning of the game.
On the comeback in the first half
We came out and ran and got fast breaks. The easy buckets really helped us.
On his hip problem
I got it before the Pitt game. I got a shot before I came in here to help it. I try and find ways to fight through it. It really doesn’t affect much. Once I start getting running and moving the pain goes away.
UConn Freshman Doug Wiggins
On getting the fast break started
Since he put me in the starting lineup, coach told me I have to make the game move faster. That’s what we did today.
On getting the ball to Stanley
He’s breaking out. He had his breakout game against St. Johns. Now we know he’s capable of doing that every night so we’re working to get him the ball in the right places.
Indiana Head Coach Kelvin Sampson
I think today was a case of a team bending, but maybe not breaking. Connecticut, especially when Robinson is at the three, they’re a hard team to keep off the offensive boards. At our end, we made a decision not to attack the boards as much offensively as much as getting back on defense. Since we’ve been playing against Jim’s teams, from Oklahoma to here, the first thing you have to prepare for is transition. They’re so good in transition offense that you’ve got to get back.
We just kept hanging in there. We were hot early, but that’s not going to last. You’re not going to make enough threes to win on the road.
We went into DJ. We played inside out. We were really, really good today out of time-outs. I thought that was a big factor, too.
We really executed down the stretch. We made our free throws.
I thought the zone slowed them up a little bit.
Then we made enough plays.
Playing on the road and only having a 11 turnovers was big for us, too.
On DJ White and Wilmont
They were just huge today.
D.J. White
They did a good job of bringing Adrien or the other post guy into me, but I’ve been getting doubled all year so I just kick it out to my guards and let them handle the rest.
