University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Opens Conference Play Wednesday Against Temple
12/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game Notes | | Live Stream (WatchESPN) | Radio
HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Connecticut men's basketball team (6-4) opens American Athletic Conference play on Wednesday against Temple (9-4) at the XL Center. The game, which tips-off at 1 p.m., can be seen on ESPN2 and it will be broadcasted live by the UConn IMG Radio Network. The Huskies have won each of their two previous games at the XL Center this season, outscoring their opponents by an average of 27 points, while the Owls enter Wednesday's contest with a 1-2 mark on the road this year.
UConn cruised past Central Connecticut, 81-48, as five Connecticut players reached double-figures for a Husky team that improved to a perfect 13-0 all-time against the Blue Devils with the win. Senior guard Ryan Boatright (Aurora, Ill.) led all scorers with 18 points, while sophomore forward Kentan Facey (Trelawny, Jamaica) tallied his first-ever double-double, finishing with 12 points and career-high 12 rebounds.
The Huskies held the Blue Devils to just 31.5 percent shooting, the lowest for a Connecticut opponent this season, and UConn's 92.3 shooting percentage (12-13) from the line marked a season-high for the team. Junior guard Omar Calhoun (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who played in just his third game of the season, reached double-figures for the first time on the year, as he finished with 11 points on 4-9 shooting.
Temple begins conference action after finishing with a record of 4-14 in league play last season. The Owls, winners of three straight, knocked off No. 10 Kansas, 77-52, on Dec. 22 behind 54 combined points from guards Will Cummings, Quenton DeCosey and Jesse Morgan. All three Temple players average double-figures on the year, while junior forward Jaylen Bond leads the charge on the boards, boasting a team-best 7.6 rebounds a game to go along with 6.8 points a game.
The Owls rank third among American Athletic schools in scoring defense, giving up just 61.5 points a game, and they've attempted an average of 20 three-pointers this season. UConn is 6-3 all-time against Temple in a series that dates back to 1951, and the Huskies have won four straight over the Owls, including both games between the two last season. Each of Connecticut's last three wins over Temple have come by double-digits.
After Wednesday's game, UConn will head south to face Florida on Saturday in its first road game of the season. The Huskies will resume conference play on Jan. 6 against USF before returning home to face conference rival Cincinnati at the XL Center on Jan. 10.
