(PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GETTY IMAGES – TIM NWACHUKWU)
An all-around performance from the UConn Huskies led by All Big East Team snub Tyrese Martin propelled them to a victory over the Pirates of Seton Hall.
The Huskies pulled away to an early lead, with the team effort shown on the defensive end. UConn played with extreme urgency and suffocated the Pirates’ attack, forcing them into tough, contested looks. The result of this was a double-digit UConn lead at the half, holding Seton Hall to a mere 18 points. Tyrese Martin led the scoring along with RJ Cole on the other end for the Huskies, each scoring 17 points, with Martin adding on eight boards and four assists.
Martin was able to get whatever he wanted, whenever he pleased. He was a force to be reckoned with in the paint, where he is a matchup nightmare. His 6’6″ frame with 215 pounds of muscle causes issues with his quickness for opposing shooting guards. His ability to get to the line will be crucial if the Huskies go deep. His counterpart, RJ Cole, played his typical game. Working around ball screens and taking the game as it comes to him is extremely important, and there could not be a better player to handle the bright lights of Madison Square Garden than the All Big East First Team guard. Cole shined on the brightest stage, taking control of the game and hitting a pair of clutch threes to put the game out of reach late in the second half.
One of the biggest unsung heroes of the game for the Huskies was Andre Jackson. If there were an award for Big East’s most athletic player of the year, it would be him. Jackson was flying around the gym, but his hustle on the defensive end helped the Huskies to one of their best all-around performances of the year. Jackson was all over the ground, diving for loose balls and disrupting the flow of the Seton Hall offense. His hands were all over the game, and his hustle was a prime reason why UConn was the better team on Thursday night.
UConn will look to continue their winning ways in their rubber match against Villanova on Friday night. Look for RJ Cole to be the X-Factor for UConn and outduel his fellow First Team All Big East point guard, Collin Gillespie.
Go Huskies!
