University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
15-16, 6-12
East Carolina University
10-20, 3-15
Men’s Basketball Earns Road Win Behind Balanced Attack
3/10/2019 4:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
GREENEVILLE, N.C. – Sparked by the return of senior guard Jalen Adams and looking to close the regular season on a high note, UConn men's basketball earned its first road win of the season, posting an 82-73 victory over East Carolina Sunday afternoon at Minges Coliseum. UConn improves to 15-16, while ECU drops to 10-19.
Sophomore Josh Carlton led the offense with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while classmate Tyler Polley tallied 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Junior Christian Vital tallied 16 points and senior Jalen Adams added a double-double of his own, posting 13 points and 12 assists. Sidney Wilson rounded out the five Huskies in double figures, finishing the game with 10 points and five rebounds.
The Pirates jumped out to an early seven point lead in the first half, with the home team connecting on three of its first four attempts from beyond the arc. Undeterred, the Huskies fought back to take the lead with 10:56 to play after a Polley triple from the corner. UConn and East Carolina traded baskets over the ensuing nine minutes, before the Huskies closed the half on a 6-0 run to take a three-point lead into the locker room.
Back-and-forth action kicked off the second half and after ECU tied the game, a quick 11-2 spurt by UConn gave the visitors a 59-50 lead to with just over 10 minutes remaining. The Pirates fought back to make it a two point game with 5:36 to go, capped off by a Jayden Gardener jumper. Following free throws from Carlton and Adams, Sidney Wilson kick-started the UConn run with a rim-rattling dunk in transition. Adams, Polley and Carlton added inside baskets of their own to push the Husky lead to a dozen, and UConn pulled away for an 82-73 victory.
Game Notes / Husky Highlights…
- UConn earns its first road win of the season.
- Five Huskies finished the game in double figures, including two players with double-doubles: Carlton (20 pts. // 10 rebs.), Polley (19), Vital (16), J. Adams (13 pts. // 12 ast.), Wilson (10).
- With the win, UConn locked up the ninth seed in the AAC Men's Basketball Tournament, which is set to begin on Thursday.
Next Up…
UConn moves into postseason play in the American Athletic Conference Championship at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. The Huskies, who secured the #9 seed will play eight-seeded Tulsa on Thursday, March 14 at 1 p.m. on ESPNU.
