Connecticut Huskies down North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs 73-63: NCAA Basketball
The defending national champion Connecticut Huskies are looking unstoppable after winning their 16th straight on November 24, 2011. They finished 10 points ahead as they tore through the North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs.
Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb combined for 46 points as Connecticut extended their winning streak to 16 games with a 73-63 victory over the Bulldogs in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis at Atlantis Resort.
"Overall, a win is a win, but no one's played us even near that hard since we played Butler last year," said UConn coach Jim Calhoun.
Napier was nothing short of outstanding as he played a strong all-around game with 23 points, seven assists, three steals and two rebounds. He ended with 7 for 14 from the field, including 4 for 9 from three-point range and 5 for
5 from free throw line.
Lamb was another bright spot in the victory as he placed a tremendous effort into each of his shots, scoring 23 points on an 8 for 13 shooting from the floor to go along with six rebounds and two assists.
Matt Dickey led Carolina-Asheville with 18 points on 6 for 13 shooting from the floor while Jeremy Atkinson ended with 14 points, nine rebounds and two steals. J.P. Primm added 10 points, seven assists and two steals.
The Huskies shot 53.2 percent (25 for 47) from the field and held the Bulldogs to 41.1 percent (23 for 56).
Connecticut took full advantage of their opponent's defense problems, scored the first six points of the game, and earned an early lead of 16-3. They maintained the lead throughout rest of the half and took a 38-29 advantage in
the second.
The Huskies stretched their lead to double figures, 43-33, early in the second half before Chris Stephenson hit a three-pointer to cut UConn lead to seven with 17:12 remaining in the game. Napier then scored a lay-up and Lamb followed
him with a pair of free throws, bringing the score back to double figures. The top-ranked North Carolina never closed the gap any closer than nine points for rest of the period.
Connecticut will face Central Florida in the second round of the tournament.
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