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Rapid Recap: No. 1 UConn too much for No. 9 Xavier

Rapid Recap: No. 1 UConn too much for No. 9 Xavier

The game was in doubt at the half, but the Huskies pulled away with a dominant second-half performance.

Shawn McGrath
March 14, 2024

Top-seeded UConn men’s basketball took a shot from the 9-seed Xavier Musketeers in the Big East quarterfinal. They started with a 10-0 run as the Huskies missed their first four shots and looked disjointed offensively. However, head coach Dan Hurley made some substitutions and the team received the message, going on a 13-0 run of its own to steady the ship.

UConn was unable to pull away from Xavier through the first half and led by just one at the break, despite being plus-seven on the offensive boards. The Huskies were 4-for-14 from 3-point range and had just four second-chance points on eight offensive rebounds.

The second half was a masterclass in UConn’s strengths, overwhelming the Musketeers, which were playing their second game in as many days. The Huskies asserted themselves inside, making their first two attempts in the paint of the second half to extend the lead to five, which was the largest lead for either side since midway through the first half.

Steph Castle is good at basketball.
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB)
5:49 PM • Mar 14, 2024

UConn rapidly pulled away, with a lead reaching as high as 29 points, by working the ball inside and converting on their layups. The Huskies scored 53 points in the second half, 36 of which were in the paint, led by a perfect 5-for-5 performance for Donovan Clingan, who had scored just two points in the first 20 minutes.

The Huskies await the winner of St. John’s and Seton Hall, which will get underway just after 2:30 p.m., in the Big East semifinals. The contest will tip off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and will be broadcast on FOX.