Read more at our Huskies’ blog, The UConn Blog.
No. 19 UConn Falls To Marquette, Second Straight Loss After Topping Texas
Hartford, CT (Sports Network) - Jimmy Butler hit a game-winning floater with 2.8 seconds left to play and led all scorers with 21 points, as Marquette topped 19th-ranked Connecticut 70-68 for its first true road win of the season.
Lazar Hayward scored 20 points before fouling out with 1:51 left in the game and the score tied at 63. Darius Johnson-Odom knocked down three clutch free throws to tie things at 68 inside a minute to go and ended with 15 points.
The Golden Eagles (13-8, 4-5 Big East) were coming off Tuesday’s 23-point drubbing of Rutgers, but escaped UConn despite shooting just 38.1 percent from the field.
Jerome Dyson had 18 points for the Huskies (13-8, 3-5), who were dealt an 81-66 defeat at Providence Wednesday and have now lost both games following their rousing victory over then-No. 1 Texas.
Kemba Walker checked in with 15 points and six assists, while Stanley Robinson posted 13 points and eight rebounds. Gavin Edwards brought down a game-high 14 boards and added nine points.
Dyson drilled a three with 54.8 seconds to go for a 68-65 lead, but then fouled Johnson-Odom on an attempt from beyond the arc, allowing Marquette to tie the game with three free throws.
Walker came down and missed a short jumper for UConn, and the visitors called timeout with 12.6 seconds left. Butler then drove to the right baseline, squared up to the cylinder and hung in the air to hit a short jumper with 2.8 remaining.
UConn had time for a heave following the inbounds, but David Cubillan stripped Edwards of the ball to seal the win.
It was a one-possession game in the early going before a Maurice Acker bucket helped open up a 22-15 lead for the visitors with a little more than seven minutes left in the half.
Hayward drained a pair of three-pointers over the next two minutes for an eight-point game and a personal six-point burst from Butler saw the Golden Eagles’ advantage grow to 13, 34-21, with three minutes still to play.
The Huskies cut their deficit to five at halftime, ending the frame with eight straight points.
Marquette had its lead back to double digits two minutes into the second half on back-to-back three-pointers by Hayward and Johnson-Odom. However, UConn put together a 13-4 run that sliced the lead to 47-46 after Robinson capped the stretch with a pair of baskets.
The Huskies continued to surge and minutes later went ahead, 56-54, on an Alex Oriakhi layup with 7 1/2 minutes to go. The teams traded baskets down the stretch to set up Marquette's thrilling win.
Marquette is now 1-5 on the road, while UConn dropped to 12-2 at home...Butler also had a team-best seven rebounds...The Golden Eagles were outrebounded 41-18..Cubillan added eight points and five assists to the win.
See More:
