University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
24-2,14-1Big East
Marquette
19-6,10-4Big East
No. 1 Huskies Roll Past No. 4 Marquette, 81-53
2/17/2024 7:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HARTFORD – The No. 1 UConn men's basketball team (24-2, 14-1 BIG EAST) tied a conference record with its 14th-straight league win, knocking off No. 4 Marquette in an 81-53 rout on Saturday afternoon at a sold-out XL Center. The win was the largest in a top-five conference game in the history of the AP poll.
The Huskies got contributions all over in the dominant showing, led by a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double from Donovan Clingan (Bristol, Conn.). Tristen Newton (El Paso, Texas) stuffed the stat sheet and flirted with a triple-double in a 15-point, 8-rebound, 8-assist performance. Hassan Diarra (Queens, N.Y.) went for 14 points, six assists and five rebounds off the bench and Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) was the fourth Husky in double-figures with 14 points along with six rebounds.
After an even start that saw a total of six ties, the Huskies used a prolonged first half run to take a double-digit lead into the break. The second half saw more of the same, with Connecticut continue to keep the clamps on defensively and go up as many as 29.
The win concluded UConn's XL Center slate for 2023-24, as they finished a perfect 8-0 in downtown Hartford. It marks the seventh undefeated season at the former Civic Center in UConn's 47-year history of playing in the building.
How it Happened
The contest opened with a frenetic pace and intensity, as the top-five squads traded punches early and went to the first media timeout level at 8-8. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Spencer and Diarra gave Connecticut a brief 14-10 advantage, and later in the frame a 9-0 run pushed the Huskies' lead to their largest of the day at 27-18 with 5:39 to go in the half.
Late in the first half, Connecticut ripped off an 11-0 run capped by an emphatic Clingan slam that pushed the lead to 40-24 and forced an MU timeout at the 1:29 mark of the period. Overall, UConn closed to the first half on a prolonged 26-10 run and took a 42-26 lead into the half.
Early in the second half, a thunderous Clingan slam pushed the lead over 20 for the first time and forced another Marquette timeout at 15:52 with the Huskies up 51-30. Midway through the stanza, Newton buried back-to-back 3-pointers to give Connecticut a 65-43 lead and force MU's fourth and final timeout with 9:04 to play.
The Huskies kept their foot on the gas, with a Spencer 3-pointer pushing the lead to 29 at 78-49 at 4:17 of the half. That would be the largest the lead would balloon in the eventual 28-point win.
Inside The Numbers
- UConn shot 46.0 percent (29-63) from the floor and 36.7 percent (11-30) from 3-point range, while holding Marquette to 36.8 percent (21-57) and 21.7 percent (5-23)
- The Huskies dominated on the glass, out-rebounding MU 45-27
- Connecticut turned 18 offensive rebounds into a 21-4 edge in second chance points
- Clingan's game-high 17 came on a 7-of-8 effort from the floor
- UConn's bench out-scored the MU reserves, 25-10
- The Huskies were +1 in turnover margin but turned in a 17-9 edge in points off turnovers
- UConn dished out 24 assists on 29 made field goals
News and Notes
- UConn is now the first team in BIG EAST history to win three-straight conference games by at least 25 points
- The 28-point margin of victory marked the largest in a top-five conference game in the history of the AP Poll
- Connecticut's 14-game conference winning streak ties the longest in a single season in BIG EAST history, matching streaks from 1995-96 UConn and 1984-85 St. John's
- The double-double for Clingan was his second this season and the sixth of his career
- Clingan has blocked a shot in all 21 games he has appeared in this season
- Diarra's double-figure effort was his fourth of the season, all off the bench
- The Huskies hit the 20-assist mark for the 11th time this season
- Connecticut improves to 16-0 this season when holding an opponent under 40 percent shooting
- The win was UConn's ninth Quad 1 victory, most in America
- UConn is now 6-5 all-time in top-five games and 50-9 when playing as No. 1
- The Huskies improve to 14-0 this season at home
Up Next
The Huskies have a quick turn and hit the road for a staunch test at No. 17 Creighton, visiting the Bluejays on Feb. 20 in Omaha.
