University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Set To Battle No. 2 Duke In New Jersey On Thursday
12/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The University of Connecticut men's basketball team (4-3) is set to battle No. 2 Duke (9-0) on Thursday at 8 p.m. in a neutral game at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. The game will be broadcasted live by ESPN and it can also be heard live on the UConn IMG Radio Network. The Huskies sport a record of 2-1 in neutral games this season, and UConn is 11-8 all-time in games played at the IZOD Center (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena, or the Meadowlands).
Connecticut defeated Coppin State, 106-85, on Sunday at the XL Center to snap its three-game losing streak behind a career-best 40 points from sophomore Amida Brimah (Accra, Ghana). The UConn center became the 11th different Husky to ever eclipse that point total, and his 40 points were the most by a Connecticut player since Kemba Walker scored 42 points against Vermont on Nov. 17, 2010.
Brimah's sensational outing against the Eagles also produced a program record, as the sophomore finished the game 13-13 from the floor, good for the best shooting percentage in a game for any UConn player ever (min. 10 attempts). Brimah, this week's American Athletic Conference Player of the Week, also grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds to earn his first-ever double-double, while freshman guard Daniel Hamilton (11 points, 11 assists) tallied the accomplishment for the first time in his career as well. His 11 assists against the Eagles were the most for a Connecticut player this season.
UConn's 106 points in the victory marked the highest total since Connecticut's 6OT game against Syracuse on March 12, 2009 when the Huskies totaled 117 points.
Duke enters Thursday's contest with two 10-point victories against ranked opponents this season. The Blue Devils moved past No. 19 Michigan State, 81-71, on Nov. 18 before defeating previously No. 2 Wisconsin, 80-70, earlier this month (Dec. 3).
Duke, which is 3-0 in neutral games this season, has outscored its first nine opponents by an average of 26.9 points a game, and on Wednesday the Blue Devils downed Elon, 75-62, behind 25 points and 20 rebounds from center Jahlil Okafor. The freshman standout leads the team in scoring (18.0) and rebounds (9.0), and he sports a 65.5 shooting percentage for a Duke team that has outrebounded its opponents by 9.0 per game this fall.
The Huskies are 4-5 all-time against the Blue Devils in a series that dates back to 1964. UConn has won four of the last five meetings, including the 1999 National Championship, the first-ever NCAA title for the program. Connecticut also edged Duke, 79-78, in the 2004 national semifinals on its way to its second national title.
The Blue Devils will be the second ranked opponent this season for UConn, which fell to No. 7 Texas, 55-54, on a Longhorns' last-second three-pointer back on Nov. 30 at Gampel Pavilion. Last season, Connecticut went 10-4 against ranked teams.
