No. 1 UConn Cruises to a 78-54 Victory Over Villanova

On Saturday night in front of a sold-out Gampel Pavilion, the No. 1 UConn men’s basketball team (25-3, 15-2 BIG EAST) came back with a 78-54 victory over Villanova (15-12, 8-8 BIG EAST). The game took place on the same night that the No. 32 jersey of the iconic Richard “Rip” Hamilton was retired. With this victory, UConn tied the Wildcats for the biggest margin of victory in the 75-game series with 24 points.

The Huskies’ 25 points came from Cam Spencer of Davidsonville, Maryland, and Tristen Newton of El Paso, Texas, who extended his UConn record with his fourth triple-double of the season. With 10 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, the current active leader in triple-doubles completed the game.

In the victory, the Huskies’ defence was outstanding, limiting Villanova to only 35% shooting and leading the Wildcats in rebounding by a margin of 14. With 14 points, Stephon Castle of Covington, Georgia, and Donovan Clingan of Bristol, Connecticut, rounded out Connecticut’s double-figure scorers, joining Newton and Spencer.

Check the full score card at https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2023-24/villanova/boxscore/23912

The Event’s Sequence

At the 7:45-minute mark of the first half, Connecticut took a 17-10 lead thanks to a 3-pointer by Spencer, capping a 9-0 run that had begun with early blows in a defensive scuffle. Neither team had a lead greater than one possession. A three-pointer by Newton just under two minutes into the first half gave the Huskies their biggest lead of the half, 29-19, and forced Villanova to take a timeout.
At halftime, Connecticut had extended their lead to 31-21, a double-digit edge. In the first quarter, the Huskies outrebounded the Wildcats by a score of 10 to keep VU to only 30 percent shooting.

A 7-0 run by Villanova early in the second half cut UConn’s lead to 38-33 and necessitated a timeout at 14:57. In the middle of the half, with the score within five points again, Spencer hit a six-straight to start an 8-0 run that increased the Huskies’ lead to 53-40 and necessitated a VU break at 9:46.

With a 14-1 record, the Huskies would have the day’s greatest advantage at 18 points. Connecticut maintained its double-digit lead throughout the game by limiting VU’s offence and controlling the glass. With an assist on a 3-pointer by Alex Karaban in the last minute, Newton completed his triple-double, and the game came to a close.

Analysing the Data

• UConn held Villanova to a 33.3 percent field goal percentage (21-63) and a 12.5 percent three-point field goal percentage (3-24), while UConn shot 42.9 percent from the floor and 31.3 percent from beyond the arc.
• Connecticut finished with an 11-0 advantage in second-chance points, a 13-4 advantage in bench points, and an 18-4 margin in fast-break points.
• Spencer scored 25 points on a highly efficient 9-of-13 shooting from the floor and a 5-of-8 mark from beyond the arc.
• The Huskies dominated the glass, leading UConn 46-32. UConn had 14 assists on 24 field goals, with Newton leading the way with 10.

In other news, UConn has won four in a row over the Wildcats, bringing their overall record against Villanova to 36-39 in a rivalry that dates back to 1941.

• Including a perfect 7-0 record at Gampel, the Huskies are currently 15-0 at home this season.
• Over the last 27 games played at Gampel, Connecticut has won 26.
• Among active Division I players, Newton now has four triple-doubles, including two this season.
• Spencer equaled his career best for points scored at UConn with 25 and recorded his eighth 20-point performance of the year.
• Newton had his eighth double-double of the season and second in a row. With his career-high 16 boards, Newton became the first Huskie to do it since Tyrese Martin against DePaul on March 5, 2022, when he grabbed 16 boards. In each of his 23 games played, Clingan has made a save.
• This is the second consecutive year that Dan Hurley has recorded 25 wins; he did it in 2016–17 and 2017–18 while playing at Rhode Island. Across his three collegiate stops, Hurley has now amassed five 25-win campaigns.

Up After that,

After their second bye week, the Huskies will take Sunday, March 3, to celebrate Senior Day at Gampel Stadium by playing Seton Hall.