University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Maine
Dyson Matches Career-High With 27 Points in UConn Win
12/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2009
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HARTFORD, Conn. - Senior guard Jerome Dyson (Potomac, Md.) tied his career high with 27 points as 11th-ranked Connecticut men's basketball team broke up a tie game with some potent long-range shooting in the second half to defeat Maine, 71-54, Tuesday evening before a crowd of 11,366 at the XL Center.
The Huskies are now 8-2 on the season while the Black Bears drop to 5-5 with the setback.
Dyson scored 21 of his points in the second half as the Huskies overcame a 26-26 halftime stalemate. Connecticut made seven three-point shots in the second half, including five in the first 6:19 of the stanza. The Huskies trailed 33-30 with 18:00 to play, but UConn scored eight-straight points as senior Stanley Robinson (Birmingham, Ala.) hit a three-pointer, classmate Gavin Edwards (Gilbert, Ariz.) tipped in his own miss and Dyson followed with another three-pointer to put Connecticut ahead 38-33. Maine inched back within three at 43-40 on a three-pointer by Gerald McLemore, but the Huskies answered with 12 straight points over the next 4:37 to secure the win.
Dyson finished nine-of-18 from the field, including four-of-11 from three-point range. He added seven rebounds as well. Robinson registered his 14th career double-double by registering 14 points and yanking down 12 rebounds. He scored in double figures for the 16th consecutive game, dating back to last season.
Freshman center Alex Oriakhi (Lowell, Mass.) tied his career mark with a game-best 14 rebounds, and tied his career-high with four of Connecticut's 16 blocked shots. Fellow freshman Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (Dorchester, Mass.) scored eight points in just 17 minutes of action.
Edwards finished with seven points, four rebounds and recorded five rejections. Sophomore point guard Kemba Walker (Bronx, N.Y.) had an off-night shooting the ball (he made just one-of-10 from the field), yet he dished out a game-high nine assists.
For the second-straight game poor shooting and a bulk of turnovers plagued the Huskies in the opening twenty minutes. Connecticut shot just 32 percent in the first half, but shot 52 percent after intermission. UConn had just four turnovers in the second half, after having eight in the first period.
Terrance Mitchell came off the Black Bear bench to score 13 points, while McLemore chipped in with 10 points.
Connecticut returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 27, when the Iona Gaels venture into the XL Center. Game time is set for 2 p.m., and the contest will be nationally-televised by ESPNU.
