University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
17-2,7-1Big East
Villanova
11-7,4-3Big East
Newton Leads No. 1 Huskies To Win At Villanova
1/20/2024 11:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Tristen Newton (El Paso, Texas) scored 25 points to lead the No. 1 UConn men's basketball team (17-2, 7-1 BIG EAST) to a 66-65 win over Villanova (11-7, 4-3 BIG EAST) on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center. The win was UConn's seventh-straight and gives the Huskies sole possession of first place in the BIG EAST standings.
The Huskies and Wildcats went back and forth throughout the contest, one that featured six ties and four lead changes. UConn never trailed by more than four and led by as many as 11 early in the contest. In support of Newton's 25 points, Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) scored 14 and Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) added 10, including a clutch late 3-pointer.
How it Happened
The Huskies came out of the chute white-hot, scoring the first 11 points of the contest to force a Villanova timeout at the 16:18 mark of the first half. The Wildcats responded in kind, going on a prolonged 12-2 run that cut the lead to one before a Newton floater gave the Huskies a 15-12 lead ahead of the U-8 timeout.
Late in the first half, Connecticut ripped off another 11-0 run sparked by six points from Spencer to stretch its lead to 27-18. The Huskies would go into the break with a 29-24 advantage.
The Wildcats opened the second half on a 7-2 run to briefly tie the game, then used a 9-0 run a few minutes later to take their largest lead of the game at 42-38. That lead was short-lived as UConn answered with an emphatic 13-0 run of its own to jump back on top by a score of 51-42 midway through the second half.
Once again Villanova found a response and used a 7-0 run in the late stages of the second half to pull even at 54-54 around the five-minute mark. Back-to-back baskets for Newton gave the Huskies a 58-56 lead before the final media timeout with 3:02 to play.
With the score tied at 58, Newton found Karaban in the corner for a huge 3-pointer with 2:43 to play. In the final second of regulation, Spencer and Newton combined to hit four-straight from the line and seal the win.
Inside the Numbers
- UConn was out-shot in the victory, with VU shooting 44.9 percent versus a 40.8 percent mark for the Huskies
- The two sides tied on the glass, each grabbing 30 rebounds
- Donovan Clingan (Bristol, Conn.) led the Huskies with a game-high seven boards
- The Huskies dominated on the fast break, out-scoring Villanova 21-8 in transition
- The 25 points for Newton came on an 8-for-17 effort from the floor, a 3-of-9 mark from 3-point range and a 6-of-7 output from the free throw line
- The Huskies finished with 13 assists on 20 made field goals
News and Notes
- UConn improves to 35-39 all-time against Villanova and has won three-straight in the series for the first time since 2009-11
- Newton's 20-point effort was his fourth of the season
- The Huskies improve to 43-9 all-time when playing as No. 1, including an 18-3 mark in road games as No. 1
Up Next
The Huskies have a brief respite for their bye week before returning to action next Sunday. UConn will host Xavier on Jan. 28 for a 12 p.m. At halftime of the contest, UConn will honor the 2003-04 national championship team with its induction to the Huskies of Honor.
