Kemba Walker has been the best player on the floor for either team in the 2011 Big East Championship game, but Jim Calhoun opted to manage his risk, benching Walker when he picked up his second personal foul with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half. UConn had a 12 point lead on Louisville at that point, but that lead was trimmed to six just before halftime. Preston Knowles, who had a terrible start to the first half, hit two three-point shots near the end of the half to bring his team back to within single digits of the Huskies.
Big East Championship Game 2011, Louisville Vs. UConn Score: Huskies Lead 38-32 At Halftime
UConn have been the much better shooting team so far, but they looked a bit lost without Walker on the floor. Louisville’s tough work on the boards, along with their passing has allowed them to stay in the game, despite the fact that they were absolutely dominated while Kemba Walker was on the floor. It will be key at the start of the third half for Walker to avoid picking up his third personal foul.
While UConn are shooting 53% from the floor, Jamal Cooms-McDaniel has been largely ineffective off the bench, taking a number of ill-advised shots. With Walker on the bench, he seemed to see himself as the main scoring option, which didn’t exactly work out.
With Walker returning to the floor, UConn will look to get off to a fast start in the second half. If Louisville want to continue chipping away at UConn’s lead and take control of the game, they will have to improve their outside shooting significantly.
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