University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Defeats Louisville at Maui Invitational, 83-71
11/22/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
 Louisville guard Marques Maybin cuts between Connecticut's Edmund Saunders, center Albert Mouring (23) and Taliek Brown as he drives the lane in the first half.(AP Photo/Michael Conroy) |
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) -- Caron Butler scored 20 points in an impressive college debut to lead No. 12 Connecticut to an 83-71 victory over Louisville on Wednesday in the fifth-place game of the Maui Invitational.
Butler, a 6-foot-7 freshman swingman, missed the Huskies' first three games because of an NCAA violation regarding payment of his prep school tuition. He lived up to his recruiting hype right away, making a 3-pointer with his first college shot and power dunking on his second.
The Huskies (3-1) also got senior center Souleymane Wane back from a three-game suspension for violating NCAA rules involving phone calls. He made his presence felt with eight rebounds.
Albert Mouring had 23 points to lead the Huskies, who were beaten 80-66 in the opening round by Dayton.
Marques Maybin had 25 points to lead Louisville (2-2) despite being limited to nine minutes in the second half because of foul trouble.
Connecticut took the lead for good at 47-45 on two free throws by Taliek Brown with 16:15 to play. Butler stole the ball and went in for a dunk, and Edmund Saunders then scored on a rebound to cap a 9-0 run that gave the Huskies a 62-49 lead with 11:13 to play.
Butler entered the game about six minutes in and his first shot and points were the 3 with 11:15 remaining in the half. His first college dunk came 20 seconds later and gave the Huskies a 22-17 lead.
Saunders had 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Huskies finished with a 45-31 advantage on the boards.
