University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
14-6,11-6Big East
Georgetown
9-12,7-9Big East
UConn MBB Thrashes Georgetown In Regular-Season Finale
3/6/2021 4:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / March 6, 2021
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn men's basketball team will roll into the postseason with a full head of steam, finishing the regular season with four straight wins and six wins in its last seven games, thanks to an impressive 98-82 thrashing of Georgetown on Senior Day, Saturday at Gampel Pavilion.
The Huskies (14-6 overall, 11-6 BIG EAST) scored the first 12 points of the game and never looked back, piling up a lead as wide as 29 points before settling for the 16-point triumph. Georgetown drops to 9-12 and 7-9.
I'm obviously thrilled with the win, thrilled for the guys that played their last game in Gampel," UConn Coach Dan Hurley said. "It[s great for them to win their last one here. This obviously was an important game on a number of levels, but we wanted to honor our seniors by finishing the season the right way."
UConn has clinched the No. 3 seed at next week's BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies will not be in action until Thursday's quarterfinal round, when they will play the winner of No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 seed (they will play Wednesday) at 9 p.m. (FS1).
"With all due respect, I feel like it's pretty wide open," Hurley said. "There are multiple teams who could win this tournament, maybe six or seven teams that have that ability."
Saturday's game was preceded by the Senior Day ceremony, as seniors Tyler Polley, Josh Carlton, and Isaiah Whaley, as well as graduating junior Brendan Adams, were honored with video messages from their family and the awarding of their framed jersey from Coach Hurley.
Then the team went out and honored the seniors with a blistering start, riding the hot hand of sophomore James Bouknight to a 12-0 start and 15-2 lead. By the midway point of the first half, the lead had grown to 26-12 and the Huskies were firing on all cylinders.
"The way we started out, we didn't have the intensity or the effort we needed to be in this ballgame," Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing said. "We're not going to win if we don't rebound or defend, that's what we didn't do tonight. Tonight, we got a royal ass-kicking."
The UConn lead was 51-24 at halftime, the Huskies biggest halftime lead since UConn was ahead of USF 41-14 at halftime of a game in 2014. The Huskies kept the pressure on throughout the opening minutes of the second half, had the lad at a comfortable 81-60 with 5:35 remaining and coasted to the finish.
The Huskies placed six players in double figures for the first time this season, led by Bouknight's 21. Sophomore guard Jalen Gaffney had 15, not missing any of the six shots he attempted, including 3 three-pointers.
Whaley, Polley and junior Tyrese Martin each chipped in with 11, while freshman Adama Sanogo had his first double-double with10 points and 10 rebounds.
"Next week's going to be completely different," Hurley said. "But we're going to have a chip on our shoulder, a real edge to us over the next couple of weeks. That's our mentality."
