Shabazz Napier scored 19 points in the second half and overtime to lead the No. 7 UConn Huskies to an 89-81 victory over the No. 10 St. Joseph's Hawks in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
NCAA Tournament, St. Joseph’s vs. UConn: Shabazz Napier, Huskies advance with 89-81 win
UConn salted away the game by hitting 15 consecutive free throws late in the game.
UConn imposed its will on St. Joseph's early in the extra period, scoring 10 of the first 13 points, beginning with DeAndre Daniels' three-point play a little over a minute into overtime. Napier also converted a late three-point play as part of his superb post-halftime performance. As a team, UConn made 15 consecutive free throws late to ice the game and advance to the Round of 32.
The Huskies overcame a double-digit first-half deficit and trailed for a large portion of the second half before taking control late in regulation. UConn actually led with a little more than two minutes remaining but traded buckets and free throws with the Hawks down the stretch.
UConn had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation after forcing St. Joe’s to be whistled for a shot clock violation. The Huskies drew up a brilliant inbound play with fewer than three seconds remaining and created an open shot for Napier, but the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year’s three-point jumper was too strong.
Napier finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists. St. Joseph's senior Langston Galloway led his team with 25 points in the loss.
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