University of Connecticut Athletics
Anderson Leads Huskies Past Eagles, 129-61
12/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
STORRS, Conn. (December 23, 2005) - Senior guard Rashad Anderson (Lakeland, Fla.) scored a career-high 33 points as the second-ranked University of Connecticut men’s basketball team cruised past Morehead State Friday afternoon by a score of 129-61 before a crowd of 10,167 at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
Anderson set a number of career highs in the game, including 12 field goals made and seven three-point field goals. Anderson was 12 of 15 from the field and was a perfect seven for seven from three-point range and two for two from the free throw line.
Connecticut improves to a perfect 9-0 on the season while Morehead State drops to 1-8.
The 129 points for the Huskies was the second highest in school history and just one point off the school record of 130 against Tennessee Tech on Dec. 30, 1993. The game marked the second time this season that UConn passed the century mark in scoring as they scored 113 vs. Texas Southern on Dec. 2. The 129 points represents the most points scored ever at Gampel Pavilion, eclipsing the 116 points scored by the Huskies against Sacred Heart on Dec. 3, 2002.
UConn led 67-30 at halftime and the 67 first half points were the second highest in a half in school history. UConn scored 68 points against Hartford in the second half on Dec. 29, 1996.
A total of seven Huskies scored in double figures as sophomore Rudy Gay (Baltimore, Md.) had 18 points to go along with career-bests of eight assists and six blocks. Gay has now scored in double figures in all but one of UConn’s games this year.
Senior Ed Nelson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) had a UConn career-high 17 points and added seven rebounds while junior Josh Boone (Mt. Airy, Md.) had 14 points and freshman Marcus Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif.) had 13 points.
Freshmen Jeff Adrien (Brookline, Mass.) and Rob Garrison (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) each scored 12 points. – career highs for both of them. For Adrien, it was his first career double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Huskies shot 59% from the field, and committed just eight turnovers, both season UConn bests.
Morehead State was led in scoring by Shaun Williams with 25 points.
UConn returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 28 when it entertains Stony Brook at 7:00 p.m. at the Hartford Civic Center. The game will be televised by WTXX-TV 20. Stony Brook is coached by former Husky Steve Pikiell, a Bristol, Conn., native who played for head coach Jim Calhoun from 1986-91 and was also a UConn assistant coach.
Post-Game Quotes
UConn Head Coach Jim Calhoun
They came out and pressed us, and generally teams that press us allow us to get ourselves going. Overall, we just kind of overwhelmed them. When we play offensively like that we’re very good. And this was their third game in five days so it made it very difficult for them to stay with us. Our depth is going to wear you out anyway.
We didn’t play great defense but we ran the court well.
On a night where we’re running very well, where Ed is doing his thing early inside, where Rudy is dishing out assists, and where we’re blocking a lot of shots, it really makes it impossible to beat us under those circumstances.
I am particularly happy for Rashad. Coming back from the situation of last year, playing his way step-by-step last fall, I had my misgivings. When I think of him going 7 for 7 today, I’ve seen that before. I’ve seen it against Vanderbilt. I’ve seen it in the Final 8 against Alabama. I’ve seen him make one of those corner threes against Duke in the semifinals of the national championship game… Rashad doesn’t mind who he takes a three on. We put him at point guard and every play worked its way to be for him. That’s kind of unusual.
He will be on track to be the greatest three point shooter we’ve ever had here, and we’ve had some pretty good ones.
On Rudy Gay
Rudy had perhaps his best all-around game. He was unselfish. Certainly he could have scored 30 himself very easily but instead had 8 assists, 5-6 blocks, 4 steals.
On Hilton Armstrong’s three pointer
We’ll talk about that with Hilton. You’ve seen it and there’s a pretty good chance that you won’t see it again.
On Ed Nelson
Ed gives us a physical presence that we’re going to need going into conference play.
Connecticut Player Post Game Quotes
On scoring 33 points
I just felt good. The last couple of days and couple of weeks, I’ve been in the gym a lot – at nighttime, midnight, before practice, after practice – and its been paying off.
If I played 30 minutes I probably would have had 40. They mean a lot to us as a team, especially for the guys who don’t play a lot to get confidence.
I just felt good this morning when I woke up. I had a good omelette, waffles, pancakes. I just felt good at the shootaround.
What has influenced your growth as a player since last year?
One thing that really stuck with me this past season is when I was at (Michael) Jordan’s camp and he said I wasn’t playing hard enough, I was just going through the motions. Ever since then it stuck with me. When you have the greatest player to ever play the game tell you’re going through the motions that really sticks with you.
On Hilton Armstrong’s 3 pointer
I just prayed. Thank God he made it. I just went, “uh, uh,…okay.”
