University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Challenges No. 6 Maryland at MSG
12/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jimmy V Classic Homepage | UConn Game Notes
NEW YORK - After collecting a 33-point win over in-state foe Sacred Heart, the UConn men's basketball team is set for its fourth neutral-site game of the 2015-16 season when it challenges No. 6 Maryland on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game, which will be played as part of the 2015 Jimmy V Classic, will be broadcasted on ESPN and heard on the UConn/IMG Radio Network.
UConn (5-2) got back on track with a win over Sacred Heart on Dec. 2 at the XL Center, behind a game-best 19 points from redshirt-junior guard Rodney Purvis. Sophomore standout Daniel Hamilton recorded his team-best third double-double (14 points, 13 rebounds), while the Husky defense held the Pioneers to just 29.2 percent shooting
Tuesday's tilt will be the seventh-ever meeting between the programs on the hardwood. The Huskies own a 4-2 all-time series edge, including a 78-77 win vs. the Terrapins on Nov. 8, 2013.
UConn sports a 61-52 (.540) record at Madison Square Garden, including a 4-2 record under fourth-year head coach Kevin Ollie.
Connecticut will be playing in its second-ever Jimmy V Classic game after bowing out to North Carolina, 69-65, in 2012. The Jimmy V Classic began in 1995 as a way to raise money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The V Foundation was founded in 1993 by the late Jim Valvano and has funded more than $150 million in cancer research grants.
Maryland enters the matchup as the No. 6 ranked team in the Associated Press poll after jumping out to a 7-1 start. The squad returns three of its starters from a season ago and is led by sophomore guard Melo Trimble (14.8 ppg, 5.8 apg). As a team, the Terrapins are averaging 80.0 points and connecting on 54.5 percent of their shots from the field.
Fans unable to attend the game can follow @UConnMBB on Twitter for in-game updates.
