University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Continue Conference Schedule Tuesday Against USF
1/5/2015 12:00:00โฏAM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes | | Live Stream (WatchESPN) | Radio
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Connecticut men's basketball team (7-5, 0-1 American) resumes American Athletic Conference play on Tuesday at 7 p.m. when it faces USF (7-8, 1-1 American) on the road at the Sun Dome in Tampa. The game can be seen on ESPN2, and it will be broadcasted by the UConn IMG Radio Network. UConn boasts a record of 1-0 on the road this season after defeating Florida on Saturday, while the Bulls come into Tuesday's contest with a mark of 6-3 at home.
Connecticut rallied from a 13-point second half deficit to defeat the Gators, 63-59, this past weekend. The win marked the largest comeback this season for a Husky team that received double-digit points from four players. Senior guard Ryan Boatright (Aurora, Ill.) finished with a team-high 14 points, while junior guard Omar Calhoun (Brooklyn, N.Y.) tallied a season-best 12 points in the win.
Redshirt sophomore guard Rodney Purvis (Raleigh, N.C.) connected on multiple key 3-pointers down the stretch, as he finished with 11 points, reaching double-figures for the third time in the last four games. The Huskies, who shot a season-low 42.1 percent from the free throw line in their loss to Temple (Dec. 31), went 17-20 from the line against the Gators, including a perfect 9-9 in the second half. The win was UConn's third over Florida in the last 13 months.
The Bulls will face Connecticut after defeating East Carolina, 58-50, on Saturday to earn their first conference win of the season. Center Ruben Guerrero led the Bulls with 13 points to go along with seven rebounds, while forward Chris Perry (10 points) and Corey Allen Jr. (12 points) also reached double-figures. Allen Jr. has averaged a team-best 15.9 points a game, and his 27 steals on the year also lead all USF players.
USF sports a -2.8 scoring margin on the year, and the Bulls have converted just 56 of 208 3-point attempts, good for a 26.9 shooting percentage. They shoot 46.2 percent from the floor overall, and they've averaged 67.5 points a game through their first 15 contests. After starting the season 5-1, USF has lost seven of its last nine.
Tuesday's game will be the 15th meeting all-time between the Huskies and Bulls. Connecticut holds a 12-2 record against USF, and UConn has won five of the last six meetings. The Huskies swept USF last season, winning the two games by an average of 24 points. UConn's last three road games against the Bulls have been decided by an average of 4.7 points.
Following the game against USF, Connecticut will resume its conference schedule with a home game against Cincinnati on Saturday. The contest, which tips-off at 11 a.m., can be seen on CBS Sports Network.
