Men's Basketball Pushes UConn Before Falling Back in the Second Half

Central Connecticut fell at the University of Connecticut, 102-75, on Wednesday night in the 2020-21 season-opener at Gampel Pavilion. The Blue Devils had a four-point lead in the opening half and were within seven points at halftime, before the Huskies pulled away in the second half. 

CCSU shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the field in the opening half, including 57.1 percent (4-of-7) from the arc as they kept the game close in the early going. The Huskies would force 12 turnovers by the Blue Devils and shoot 59 percent from the field in the second half to pull away.

Sophomore Myles Baker scored 17 points to lead the Blue Devils. He was 7-of-11 from the field and 2-of-3 from the Arc. Junior Karrington Wallace added a career-high 14 points and was 8-of-8 at the foul line. Sophomore Jamir Reed added 14 points off the bench as well. Central finished the game 26-of-52 (.500) from the floor and hit 8-of-17 (.471) from three-point range. The Blue Devils were 15-of-23 (.652) from the foul line.

UConn used its size advantage to outrebound CCSU, 43-22, and turned 19 turnovers into 27 points. The Huskies had five players in double-figures, led by James Bouknight's 20 points. UConn was 38-of-68 (.559) from the field and 10-of-26 (.385) from three-point range. The Huskies made 16-of-22 (.727) from the foul line.

Central returns to action on Friday when it travels to Mohegan Sun to face Army West Point as part of Bubbleville.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Central Connecticut 75, UConn 102
Records: CCSU (0-1), UConn (1-0)
Location: Gampel Pavilion | Storrs, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• The Huskies built an early five-point lead, but sophomore Jamir Reed hit his first two threes of the night, including a trifecta at 13:36 to give CCSU a 13-12 following a string of five unanswered points.
• CCSU took a 20-18 lead midway through the opening half following a jumper by Ian Krishnan. Central started the game 7-of-14 from the field and hit 3-of-4 from the three-point line.
• Central stretched the lead to 27-23 with 7:23 to go in the period after five straight points. A three-point play by sophomore Myles Baker was followed by a layup down low by junior Karrington Wallace.
• CCSU got within 38-36 with 3:24 to go in the half before UConn ran off 10 straight points to build a double-digit lead. The Blue Devils would bounce back with five straight in the final 1:08 to get within 48-41 at halftime.
• The Huskies hit 5-of-8 from the floor to open the second half, while holding the Blue Devils to just 2-of-6 in the opening four minutes. UConn would use a 11-2 run to build a 61-45 lead with 15:16 to play.
• Central would respond with a 10-3 run over a three-minute span to cut the deficit to 64-55 with 12:48 to play. Baker accounted for eight points during the spurt, including a pair of three-pointers.
• The Huskies would outscore the Blue Devils 16-4 over a four-minute span to push the lead back to 21 points with just over eight minutes remaining and the game would not get any closer.

QUOTABLE

"I went to bed last night so relieved that we were able to get to this point," said head Donyell Marshall of being able to begin the season. "We were just anxious to come in here and play. I take my hat off to my guys and CCSU for doing everything right and to test to make sure we were able to get this game in."

NUMBER TO KNOW

9 - All nine players who got into the game for CCSU scored in the game. The Blue Devils got points from everyone in the first half.

NOTES

• The Huskies have gone 15-0 against the Blue Devils. The teams first met on Feb. 16, 1980, when UConn won, 66-58.
• CCSU head coach Donyell Marshall returned to UConn as a head coach for the first time. He starred for the Huskies from (1991-94).
• UConn head coach Dan Hurley was facing Central for the first time in Storrs, but for the fifth time overall. Hurley went 2-2 against CCSU as head coach at Wagner from 2010-12.
• Central allowed 100 points for the first time since a 109-73 loss against Purdue on Nov. 13, 2013.
• All nine Blue Devils who got into the game scored in the opening half.
• Reed hit 3-of-3 three-pointers in the first half. He would finish the game 4-for-4 from the arc after shooting 35.5 percent from the arc as a freshman.
• Baker scored 10 points in the opening 8:04 of the second half. He was 4-of-4 from the floor, including 2-of-2 from three-point range. He finished with 14 points after halftime.
• Wallace scored a career-high on 3-of-4 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 from the foul line. He added two blocked shots.
• Junior Nigel Scantlebury gave out a team-high five assists with four points in his first game with CCSU.