University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
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University at Buffalo
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Newton's Triple-Double Leads Huskies Over Buffalo
11/15/2022 11:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / Nov. 15, 2022
HARTFORD, Conn. – Senior Tristen Newton wrote his name in the UConn basketball record book Tuesday night, recording the 12th triple-double in school history as he led the No. 25 Huskies to an 84-64 victory over the University at Buffalo before 10,112 at the XL Center.
Newton, who transferred to UConn this year from East Carolina, had his finest game in a UConn uniform with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists as the Huskies rose to 3-0 on the young season. Buffalo dropped to 1-2.
"I was thrilled to see Tristen play that well," UConn coach Dan Hurley said, "Being a transfer and knowing that you're coming in with a high level of expectation and standards in college basketball, and us needing him to play at a high level right away. I wanted him to hear it from that crowd. Maybe now he's not a transfer guard, he's a UConn guard."
With star junior Adama Sanogo struggling offensively as Buffalo focused its defense around him, Newton took over from the outset. He scored 15 points and handed out 7 assists in the first half as UConn took a commanding 44-28 lead into the locker room at the break.
"I feel pretty good about getting my teammates involved, being on the glass," Newton said. "It's still not the kind of shooting game I want, but Joey (Calcaterra) had a big game, AK (Alex Karaban), Donovan (Clingan) - they all brought a spark to the game. So it wasn't just me, it was a collective group."
Newton, who hit 14 of 17 free throw, also added 4 steals and a blocked shot to his virtuoso performance. Newton was one of six Huskies in double-figures as grad student Joey Calcaterra also had his season-high with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while Nahiem Alleyne had 12, Sanogo and freshman Donovan Clingan each added 11, and Alex Karaban contributed 10.
With UConn struggling to find its shooting eye throughout the opening half the game was tight, with UConn holding a 23-20 lead with 5:18 remaining in the half. But the Huskies dominated the last 5:00, outscoring the Bulls, 21-8, to take a comfortable margin into the break.
The second half also started slow, but by the 10:00 mark, the Huskies had widened the gap to 65-39 and shot 54.2 percent in the second half to coast to the finish line without a threat.
It was the third straight game that UConn broke the 80-point barrier and its third straight win by at least 20 points.
Newton's triple-double was the first for UConn since Daniel Hamilton turned the trick against Central Connecticut on Dec. 23, 2015. The other players who have hit a triple-double include Donyell Marshall, Doron Sheffer, Caron Butler, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Marcus Williams, Hasheem Thabeet, Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier (twice) and Hamilton.
UConn will put its undefeated record on the line Friday night, when it plays host to North Carolina Wilmington at Gampel Pavilion (8:30 p.m., FS2).
