(PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – JESSICA HILL)
The UConn Huskies fed off of the Gampel Pavillion crowd on Saturday afternoon, defeating Xavier 72-61 in a physical, demanding battle between two top teams in the Big East.
Connecticut turned to their throwback uniforms in which they looked to win three straight home games on Saturday. The magic of the old school Jonathan the Husky logo once again shone bright, and UConn won another all-important Big East game. The effort was there in all facets of the game, with the low-post game finding success with Adama Sanogo touching the ball, the guard play thriving under the leadership of RJ Cole, and the defense clicking behind Isaiah Whaley.
Sanogo led the team in minutes, playing for all but one during the matchup. He finished with another near double-double, posting a solid fifteen-point and nine-rebound effort on 7-12 shooting from the floor. Sanogo was matched up with 7’0″ Jack Nunge most of the night, a place where many experts believed the shorter Sanogo would struggle some. Sanogo did his part and more, bringing energy on the offensive and defensive end, with his highlight coming on a clean swipe and fastbreak dunk to get the home crowd rocking.
Adama Sanogo is cleared for takeoff!!✈️✈️#ThisIsUConn | #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/lnHOZRZTuI
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) February 19, 2022
I sound like a broken record talking about everyone’s favorite point guard two times a week, telling my readers that he is a calming presence that brings toughness and leadership to this UConn team.
I will do nothing but the same after this game.
RJ Cole could have some Big East honors on his horizon, but for now, he continues to be the rock for this UConn basketball team. Cole had 16 points on Saturday, weaving his way through the Xavier defense, causing mismatches on switches all day. He was a smooth operator at the top of the key, coming off ball screens with purpose and getting the ball to the hole with strength. His two-man game with Adama Sanogo was wreaking havoc all day, and Cole continually put a stop to Xavier’s attempts to claw back to within one score.
RJ in his bag💰💰#ThisIsUConn | #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/buE0wCknQZ
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) February 19, 2022
Isaiah Whaley led the team with four giant swats on the defensive end and brought the intensity that this UConn team asks from him. His nickname “Wrench” from his ability to be a jack of all trades rang true in this one as he filled the stat sheet with six points, five rebounds, two assists, and four blocks. He was all over the floor and was doing the things that didn’t show up in the stat sheet, like altering shots and causing misses from the Xavier bigs.
Whaley wasn’t the only unsung hero of the game, as Tyler Polley had the breakout game UConn fans have been waiting for patiently. Polley has had a down year from behind the arc, an area where he usually excels. It had been over a month since he found double-digit points, but that all changed within the first twenty minutes on Saturday, where Polley earned his time, tallying eleven points. Polley ended up playing massive minutes, with a final point total tied for the team lead at sixteen. He did not miss a field goal, going four for four, including a perfect three for three behind the arc. Polley’s smooth stroke translated to the charity stripe as well, where he converted five of his six free throw opportunities. Everyone in the building knows that when Polley sees one fall, he immediately becomes locked in, and after this shot, nobody doubted what was coming next.
TYLER POLLEY AND 1!!! 💪💪#ThisIsUConn | #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/yXFHNuvHdi
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) February 19, 2022
Polley, Cole, Whaley, and Sanogo all had their hands in a vital home victory over a tenacious Xavier team, where there was an opportunity to slip looking forward to Villanova. Now that UConn has taken care of business against Seton Hall and Xavier to start their homestand off at 2-0, they look to make it three on Tuesday night to push their tournament prospects even higher. Currently, UConn is slated to be the number three seed in the Big East tournament and is projected to be on the five seed line for the NCAA tournament if things go as simulations expect the rest of the way.
The game wasn’t all basketball as former UConn star, and NBA Lottery Pick James Bouknight was in attendance, and he drew quite the scene. The Charlotte Hornets rookie found himself kicked out of his courtside seat but proceeded to find a home in the UConn Student Section where the students treated him like royalty. He walked around the aisles of the East side of the stadium, taking pictures and cheering on his former teammates from a sold-out crowd, and shoulder to shoulder student section. His mere presence drew even more energy out of the building and sparked a UConn second half surge that eventually propelled them to victory.
Nevertheless, the Huskies’ main objective lies directly ahead of them, where they have an opportunity to slay the dragon that they have failed to conquer since 2014.
A big test, yes, but the Huskies, the XL Center, and the UConn faithful will be ready for a dogfight Tuesday at 8:00 pm.
Go Huskies!
