University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Coppin State
UCONN MBB RETURNS TO XL CENTER TO MEET COPPIN ST.
11/12/2021 3:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / Nov. 12, 2021
HARTFORD, Conn. – The UConn men's basketball team returns to the XL Center in Hartford for the first time in 21 months Saturday when it plays host to Coppin State University in a non-conference game that tips off at noon (FS2).
The No. 24/23 Huskies are coming off their most lopsided victory in 13 years, a 99-48 season-opening triumph over Central Connecticut on Tuesday before a sellout crowd at Gampel Pavilion. After not playing any games in Hartford last season due to the pandemic, Saturday's game will be the first of eight regular-season games at the XL Center this season.
The season opener couldn't have gone much better for the Huskies, who jumped out to a 22-5 lead against CCSU and were never threatened. The 51-point margin of victory was UConn's largest since a 103-47 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
Ten players scored for the Huskies, including five in double figures. Sophomore forward Adama Sanogo led the way with a career-high 20 points and added 5 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Grad student R.J. Cole had 15 points and 3 assists, senior Tyrese Martin added 14 points, grad Tyler Polley scored 11 and junior Jalen Gaffney chipped in with 10. Redshirt junior Akok Akok led the rebounding with 7 boards.
The Coppin State Eagles, from Baltimore and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, have had a busy opening week of the season, playing road games and suffering losses at Loyola-Chicago and at DePaul on Tuesday and Wednesday and traveling to Lawrenceville, N.J., to take on Rider on Friday night, before coming to Hartford for Saturday's game. Â
UConn and Coppin State have met seven times in the past with UConn winning all seven. The last meeting was a 72-59 UConn win on Dec. 9, 2017, at Gampel Pavilion.
