University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
10-8,1-4AAC
University of Houston
15-4,5-1AAC
Late Houston Rally Deals MBB 63-59 Setback
1/24/2020 1:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HOUSTON, Texas. – A late rally from the twenty-fifth-ranked Houston Cougars dealt the UConn men's basketball team a 63-59 setback Thursday night at the Fertitta Center.
Senior Christian Vital paced the offense with 14 points to go along with five rebounds while junior Isaiah Whaley notched a career-high 13 points and 11 boards off the bench.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with the game featuring five ties and seven lead changes though the opening 20 minutes. After converting an earlier three-point play to give UConn its first lead of the game, Whaley scored four quick points and James Bouknight added a layup to give UConn a 19-15 lead. The Cougars cut their deficit to two points on a Dejon Jarreau jumper with 48 seconds remaining in the opening half, but Vital responded with a deep triple at the end of the half to give the Huskies a 30-25 lead at the break.
UConn lead by as many as seven in the second half and held a six-point lead 7:17 left in regulation. The twenty-fifth-ranked Cougars clawed their way back into the game, taking a 53-52 lead at the 2:53 mark following a pair of Jarreau free throws.
Trailing by two late in the game, Whaley leveled the score at 55-55 after crashing the glass and putting home the rebound off a Vital miss.
The Cougars took a two-point lead with 48 seconds left after Caleb Mills hit a tough turnaround jumper, then knocked down free throws late to secure the outcome.
