By JB Ellis
Xavier marched out early up 10 before UConn even put points on the board. Coach Hurley and the Huskies stepped up to the challenge and stormed back making in 10-9 even after missing multiple shots but cleaning up on the offensive glass and passing the ball unselfishly. The rest of the 1st half was quite pretty back and forth neither team shooting very well, but the huskies sharing the ball well and cleaning up the boards, outworking a Xavier team who had a W last night hit a shot at the buzzer to be down 34-33 at the half.
The second half saw The Huskies become assist and layup machines. UConn ended up with 29 assists to 13 for Xavier. The Huskies had 54 points in the Paint to Xavier’s 24 and it seemed that most of Xavier’s shots were coming from inside the foul line, but the UConn defense was stifling. A sign of UConn’s unselfish play is 6 players in double figures in points four players with 4 or more assists. A one-point Husky lead at the half was a 27-point Victory for Big East Coach of the year Danny Hurley and his Huskies who will play the winner of St Johns Seton Hall in the Big East Semifinals on Friday evening.
