STORRS, Conn. — The Hartford men's basketball team cut a 19-point deficit down to three in the second half, but couldn't produce enough offense as it fell in its season opener at UConn, 69-57, Friday evening. Sophomore guard
Moses Flowers led all scorers with 24 points, while junior
Hunter Marks added 14 and nine rebounds for the Hawks.
James Bouknight led four Huskies in double figures with 18 points, while Isaiah Whaley recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. UConn improves to 2-0 with the victory.
UCONN 69, HARTFORD 57
Bouknight was feeling it early for the Huskies, scoring 12 points inside the first five minutes to put his team up, 16-4. UConn pushed the lead to 19 (36-17) with 3:10 left in the half before the Hawks began to cut into their deficit. A pair of Marks free throws and five straight points from Flowers fueled an 11-4 spurt that closed the gap to 12 at 38-26, at the break.
Hartford continued to chip away in the second half. Scoring 11 of the first 13 points after intermission, the Hawks made it a one-possession game at 40-37 on a
Traci Carter jumper with 13:56 left to play. But UConn fought off the Hawks' run and pushed their lead back into double figures with a 10-2 spurt of its own.
Seven makes from the free-throw line contributed to one final Hartford run that made it an eight-point game down the stretch. The game would not get any closer, though, as UConn scored the next eight points to put things out of reach.
NEWS & NOTES
- Hartford capitalized on UConn's early foul trouble in both halves, going 21-of-27 from the line
- Both teams struggled to convert from three, as Hartford went 27 percent (4-of-15) and UConn going 26 percent (5-of-19)
- The Hawks held Bouknight to two points in the second half
- Friday's meeting was the first between Hartford and UConn in 12 years
- The Huskies have won 14 straight in the series, improving to 14-1
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks remain on the road to take on in-state foe Fairfield on Wednesday (Dec. 2). Tipoff from George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall is set for 7 p.m.
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