No. 1 UConn can’t hold on

Well, not really. Sorry to get your hopes up.

 

UConn is a stellar team – one of the best to play in the league, I think. But Villanova looked like a pro team last night. While the Huskies rely heavily on big-men, the Wildcats’ guards dominated. Allen Ray drained five 3-pointers to set his team on a 22-4 scoring run. The Villanova guards accounted for 79 percents of their team’s points. 

 

Center Will Sheridan helped his guard quartet by matching his career high with13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

 

But what was most impressive about Villanova was their defense. They controlled UConn’s main scorers by forcing 17 turnovers and getting 13 steals.

 

Connecticut opened the game with a 13-0 lead, but ‘Nova came back in the second half by knocking down five of their first six threes. As Kyle Lowry contended with the top blockers in the nation from UConn, he managed to put the Wildcats ahead 50-47 with a key offensive rebound and put-back.

 

From there, the Huskies just couldn’t hold on. They were 14-1 on the road until this game and they head to West Virginia on Feb. 18. I’m sure Calhoun had his team practicing at two in the morning because of the loss, so I wouldn’t expect another one to come too soon. 

 

UConn gets a rematch with Villanova at home Feb. 26. I’m not making any predictions on that one.