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.
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.
