University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Louisville
Huskies Fall In Double OT Thriller, 79-78
1/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2011
Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery 
Storrs, Conn. - Peyton Siva made two huge lay-ups in the second overtime after making a dunk to force the second extra period as 23rd-ranked Louisville came from behind to defeat 5th-ranked Connecticut, 79-78, Saturday afternoon before a sellout crowd of 10,167 at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
The Huskies, who saw their six-game winning streak snapped, drop to 17-3, 5-3 in BIG EAST games. The Cardinals are now 17-4, 6-2 in conference games.
Preston Knowles and Kyle Kuric each hit three-pointers for Louisville in the first 1:08 of the second overtime before the Huskies mounted a rally. Jeremy Lamb made a jumper in the lane and a three-point jumper sandwiched around a Siva layup to put Louisville up 77-74. After another spinning Siva layup, Shabazz Napier drilled a three-pointer to inch the Huskies within three with 20 seconds to play. After Siva missed the front-end of a one-and-one, Kemba Walker made two free throws with nine seconds to play to bring the Huskies within one. After Chris Smith missed two free throws, Napier rebounded the second miss and threw the ball to Walker whose long three bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
The Huskies had scored seven straight points in the first extra session (a three-pointer by Napier, and two free throws by Lamb and Roscoe Smith) to take a 68-64 lead with 37 seconds to play. Mike Marra made a three-pointer, and after Napier made one of two free throws, Siva spun in the lane and dunked with seven seconds to play to knot the score. Lamb's three-pointer with one second remaining was blocked by Terrence Jennings.
Connecticut led by seven, at 55-48, with 4:52 remaining in regulation, before the Cardinals rallied to force extra time. Jennings made four-straight free throws and Kyle Kuric followed with a three-pointer to tie the score. After Siva gave the Cardinals their first lead since the first half, Napier made one of two from the line and Walker drilled a long three-pointer to put the Huskies back ahead, 59-57, with 1:20 to play in regulation. Siva made a jumper in the lane with 29 seconds to play to tie the game again, but Walker's off-balance jumper with one second remaining was short.
Napier finished with a career-high 23 points, including a career-best five three-pointers. Lamb added 21 points, with six rebounds and three assists. Walker finished with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Smith finished with a game and career-high 12 rebounds, while Alex Oriakhi had six points and eight rebounds.
Siva finished with 19 points and a game-best seven assists for the Cardinals, while Jennings had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Preston Knowles and Kuric each scored 15 points.
The Huskies return to action on Wednesday, February 2 when they play host to Syracuse at the XL Center. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. and the contest will be nationally-televised by ESPN.
