Men's Basketball Opens Season in Setback to #24 UConn
The Central Connecticut men's basketball opened the season with a 99-48 setback on Tuesday night against 24th-ranked Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies hit their first eight shots of the game and held CCSU scoreless for nearly six minutes and built a double-digit lead to take control of the game.
Freshman Joe Ostrowsky and junior Nigel Scantleury led the Blue Devils in double-figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Central shot 18-of-51 (.353) from the field and 5-of-15 (.333) from three-point range.
The Huskies wer led by five players in double-figures with Adama Sanogo scoring a game-high 20 points. UConn shot 61.3 percent (38-of-62) from the field and 8-of-13 (.615) from the arc. UConn outrebounded CCSU, 34-23, and forced 29 turnovers.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: CCSU 48, UConn 99
Records: CCSU (0-1, 0-0 NEC), UConn (1-0, 0-0 Big East)
Location: Gampel Pavilion | Storrs, CT
KEY MOMENTS
- The Huskies hit their first eight shots and built a double-digit lead while holding CCSU scoreless for nearly six minutes. Junior Nigel Scantlebury would score seven straight for the Blue Devils to end a 13-0 run. His steal and layup would make it 24-12 midway through the first half.
- CCSU would be held scoreless for nearly five minutes and the Huskies would hit back-to-back three-pointers to open a streak of 15 unanswered points. A layup by freshman Joe Ostrowsky would snap the Central scoring drought, but UConn would take a 52-23 lead into halftime.
- The Huskies opened the second half with a 10-2 run and CCSU would get no closer than 71-37 with 11:59 remaining after Ostrowsky hit back-to-back foul shots.
NUMBER TO KNOW
11 - Central used 11 players in the contest, including six newcomers - five of which are true freshmen.
QUOTABLE
"We prepared for the last two weeks against the pressure and the physicality that we thought we were going to see, but you just can't duplicate that size and that length," said head coach Patrick Sellers of UConn.
NOTES
- UConn leads the all-time series, 16-0.
- The game was the first at CCSU for head coach Patrick Sellers, who was an assistant at UConn from 2004-10.
- Junior Tre Mitchell hit a three-pointer in the first half to give CCSU a three-pointer in 182 straight games.
- Ostrowsky was 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range. Scantlebury hit 5-of-10 shots.
- Freshman Andre Snoddy had a team-high nine rebounds for Central.
NUMBER TO KNOW
The Blue Devils travel to Brown on Sunday at 4:00 p.m.