Dog fight out west pits UConn against Washington
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) - The 10th-ranked Connecticut Huskies take part in their first true road game of the season, as they clash with the Washington Huskies on Sunday afternoon at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Kevin Ollie's Huskies won their first nine games this season, but enter this contest in unfamiliar territory, as they try to bounce back from their first loss, falling in a low- scoring affair at home to Stanford last Wednesday, 53-51.
Lorenzo Romar's Huskies are off to an uneven start, as inconsistent play has resulted in a rather modest 6-4 record thus far. Washington has however, played better of late, with wins in two straight games and four of its last five overall, including a 73-62 win over Tulane on Tuesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Huskies have won all four previous meetings with Washington, including last year's 61-53 decision at Connecticut.
UConn suffered through one of its worst offensive performances in recent memory, highlighted by an ugly 13-point effort in the second half, falling by two points to the Cardinal in the Huskies' first loss of the season. UConn shot a solid 6-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half, but was 0-of-12 from long range after the break. DeAndre Daniels led the team with 15 points. All-American SHabazz Napier netted 12 points and doled out eight assists in the setback.
The Huskies have been a much more efficient team offensively on the year. UConn comes into this contest averaging 75.4 ppg, shooting a solid .472 from the floor. The defensive effort has also been a constant, with foes averaging just 63.3 ppg and held to a mere .375 shooting. Napier is a do-it-all playmaker that leads the Huskies in scoring (15.0 ppg), rebounding (6.8 rpg) and assists (6.1 apg). Daniels (13.9 ppg) is next in the scoring column, followed by Ryan Boatright (11.5 ppg). The team's long-range attack comes with a .446 accuracy, with five players amassing over 10 3-pointers on the year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Washington used a 47.8 percent shooting performance and a 37-27 rebounding edge to get by Tulane last time out. Four Huskies finished in double figures in the win, led by C.J. Wilcox's 15 points. Perris Blackwell and Nigel Williams-Goss added 12 points each, while Mike Anderson finished with 10 points in the win.
The Huskies are a potent offensive squad, averaging an impressive 81.0 ppg. Unfortunately, the production at the offensive end hasn't carried over to the defensive end of the floor, as foes are shooting .493 and putting up 80.1 ppg. Wilcox is the most explosive player on the roster, averaging an eye-popping 20.9 ppg. Williams-Goss has made an immediate impact as a freshman, tying Blackwell for second on the team in scoring at 12.9 ppg. Blackwell serves as the team's top rebounder (8.0 rpg). Andrew Andrews rounds out the team's top scorers at 12.5 ppg.