By DONNA TOMMELLEO, AP Sports Writer
December 11, 2002
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun learned a lot about his young team's resiliency.
Down by 25 points with key players in foul trouble, the ninth-ranked Huskies came out firing in the second half against upset-minded Massachusetts and won 59-48 on Tuesday night.
``The best thing we did was we learned hopefully who we are, that we can win a game under almost any circumstance,'' Calhoun said. ``If you believe that you can will yourself.''
Ben Gordon led UConn (6-0) with 18 points, getting 16 in the second half. Gordon and freshmen Rashad Anderson and Denham Brown combined for seven straight 3-pointers in the second half. Their perimeter shooting and a stepped-up press helped UConn catch up in a hurry.
``We weren't going to let anything stop us from winning,'' Gordon said. ``Once we got in our press defense and saw they couldn't handle it, we just kept feeding off of that.''
UConn wasn't running much offense in the first half. Stymied by the Minutemen's triangle-and-one defense, a combination zone and man, the Huskies scored just nine points on 4-for-26 shooting (15 percent) and trailed 30-9 at the break.
``We couldn't get any break going and then (UMass) would wind the clock down to 10 seconds,'' Calhoun said. ``We became deflated.''
In other games involving Top 25 games, it was No. 12 Kentucky 76, Tulane 60, and No. 15 Illinois 80, Eastern Illinois 68.
UMass (1-5) took advantage of the absence of UConn's leading rebounder, Emeka Okafor, who was in foul trouble early, and outscored the Huskies 20-4 in the paint in the first half.
``You couldn't have told me before that game in a million years that was going to happen,'' UMass coach Steve Lappas said. ``It was just one of those halves for them. But like great teams, I know one thing, if we can hold them to nine, they can hold us to nine in a half, too.''
The comeback matched the biggest under Calhoun. The Huskies rallied from a 25-point deficit in 1995 to beat Pittsburgh 85-76 in Pittsburgh.
The last time UMass held an opponent to under 10 points in a half was in 1958 against Trinity, which scored eight.
``We played as hard as we could,'' Lappas said. ``We had some young guys out there, too. I think it bodes well for our guys as long as we go out there and play with that kind of intensity and conviction.''
UMass forward Jackie Rogers had 10 of his 12 points in the first half. He opened with three quick baskets, staking UMass to a 6-2 lead.
Trailing by 21 at the half, the Huskies headed to the locker room to a chorus of boos.
``The way we were playing, we deserved it,'' Okafor said. ``The fans kind of helped us get refocused. So we got out in the second half and played our hearts out.''
UConn's turnaround in the second half was a quick one. After falling behind 34-9 inside the first two minutes of the second half, on baskets by Micah Brand and Rogers, the Huskies hit six 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes.
The Huskies also stepped up their press and changed the pace of the game.
``The game was getting to the point where we wanted it to be,'' Calhoun said. ``Everything changed. Our press really saved us tonight, and some young freshmen made big plays.''
Anderson, who finished with 16 points, hit his first of three 3-pointers with 14:56 left in the game to cut UMass' lead to 34-16. The Huskies then hit their next five from long range.
``Once I got in the game I felt the rhythm when they passed me the ball and it went it,'' Anderson said. ``I was loving it. It was fun.''
With Okafor back in, the Huskies began to regain their inside game. He had four of his five blocks in the second half. His hook shot with 6:33 left gave the Huskies their first lead at 38-36, and the comeback -- a 29-6 run -- was complete. UConn hit 12 of 22 shots for 55 percent in the second half.
Okafor finished with 12 rebounds and four points, and Denham Brown added 11.
Anthony Anderson led UMass with 13 points. Brand added 12 points and 13 boards as the Minutemen outrebounded the Huskies 41-31.
``We could have easily quit,'' Gordon said. ``Any other team probablywouldn't have come back like us. That just says a lot about our character.'' No. 12 Kentucky 76, Tulane 60
At New Orleans, Keith Bogans scored 21 points -- the fourth time this season he's topped 20 points -- for Kentucky.
Bogans hit 5-of-5 from 3-point range as Kentucky (5-1) outshot the Green Wave (3-5) 55 percent to 43 percent from the field, and 56 percent to 43percent in 3-pointers. Bogans also had a career-high six steals. No. 15 Illinois 80, Eastern Illinois 68
At Champaign, Ill., Freshman Dee Brown scored 25 points -- including 12 of 19 as Illinois took control early in the second half -- and Brian Cook added 21.
The Illini (6-0) led by four early in the second half, when they took advantage of six turnovers by Eastern Illinois (3-5) to extend their lead to 15.
Henry Domercant had 30 for the Panthers.
Updated on Wednesday, Dec 11, 2002 2:49 am, EST
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