No. 5 UConn tops LIU, is unbeaten ahead of Big East play
AP
Dec 10, 2022
STORRS, Conn. (AP) Freshman Donovan Clingan keeps raising the bar with each game in his first season with UConn.
The 7-foot-2 center had a career-high 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 5 UConn over Long Island University 114-61 on Saturday.
It was Clingan's second double-double of the season, and one of five players who scored in double digits for UConn (11-0). Sophomore Jordan Hawkins had a team-high 22 points and was 6 of 9 on 3-pointers; freshman Alex Karaban turned in a career-high 19 points; Adama Sanogo added 16 points and Naheim Alleyne added 11.
''We have to come into every game with the mindset that the other team is trying to win, too,'' said Clingan, who shot 10-for-10 from the field. ''It's important to get every win and this one was important as the last nonconference game.''
Clingan has become a dominant force inside with Sanogo, who was the preseason Big East Player of the Year. Clingan posted his first double-double and was named MVP in last month's Phil Knight Invitational championship win over Iowa State.
Clingan and Sanogo scored 36 of UConn's 58 points in the paint Saturday.
''Going against the best big man in the country, Adama, in practice helps me a lot every day,'' Clingan said.
The last time the Huskies (11-0) scored 100 points in regulation was when they opened the 2020 season with a 102-75 win against Central Connecticut Huskies State. It's also the most points UConn has scored since beating Morehead State 129-61 on Dec. 23, 2005.
The Huskies finished their nonconference schedule undefeated for the sixth time since 1979 and the first since 2010-11 (12-0).
''It's hard to do historical things in a place with all this history, right,'' UConn coach Dan Hurley said. ''To be the sixth team in program history who has been able to get through the conference undefeated is a great accomplishment for this group.''
Jacob Johnson scored 19 points for the Sharks (1-8) and R.J. Greene added 17.
Clingan had 17 points and nine rebounds at the break as UConn dominated the opening half, 62-27. The freshman eclipsed his career high of 15 points with a putback dunk right before the buzzer.
The Huskies shot 62.5% from the field to LIU Sharks's 37%, and were 7 of 16 on 3-pointers.
After the Sharks tied it 5-5 at 17:52 of the half, UConn reeled off a 20-2 run.
LIU coach Rod Strickland said the Huskies showed why they're ranked so high: ''They were just efficient on both ends of the court.''
The Sharks played without leading scorer Marko Maletic, a late scratch, who has been averaging 14.9 points per game.
BIG PICTURE
LIU: The Sharks dropped their seventh straight contest and are now 0-3 against Big East schools this season.
UConn: The Huskies are off to their best overall start since opening 11-0 in 2008-09 which ties them for fourth all-time. The best start was 19-0 in 1998-99.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Huskies collected a season-high 29 assists, which led to 45-for-72 shooting from the field. Andre Jackson Jr. and Tristen Newton each had seven assists.
UP NEXT
LIU: Dropped the first of a three-game road trip, with their next contest coming Wednesday at Albany.
UConn: Goes into a week-long break before opening Big East play on Dec. 17 at Butler.
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1st Half
LIU
Sharks
27
UCONN
Huskies
62
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Cheikh Ndiaye vs. Adama Sanogo (Tristen Newton gains possession)
19:48
+2
Andre Jackson Jr. makes two point dunk (Tristen Newton assists)
0-2
19:36
R.J. Greene misses two point jump shot
19:34
Andre Jackson Jr. defensive rebound
19:17
+3
Alex Karaban makes three point jump shot (Tristen Newton assists)
0-5
19:06
+2
Cheikh Ndiaye makes two point layup (Jacob Johnson assists)
2-5
18:41
Jordan Hawkins misses three point jump shot
18:38
Sharks defensive rebound
18:30
Tristen Newton shooting foul (Cheikh Ndiaye draws the foul)
18:30
Cheikh Ndiaye misses regular free throw 1 of 2
18:30
+1
Cheikh Ndiaye makes regular free throw 2 of 2
3-5
18:14
Jordan Hawkins misses two point jump shot
18:12
Jacob Johnson defensive rebound
17:52
+2
Jacob Johnson makes two point jump shot
5-5
17:46
Tre Booker shooting foul (Andre Jackson Jr. draws the foul)
17:46
+1
Andre Jackson Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2
5-6
17:46
+1
Andre Jackson Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2
5-7
17:31
Quion Burns offensive foul (Jordan Hawkins draws the foul)
17:31
Quion Burns turnover (offensive foul)
17:20
+3
Jordan Hawkins makes three point jump shot (Alex Karaban assists)
5-10
16:47
Jacob Johnson turnover (bad pass)
16:34
Jordan Hawkins misses three point jump shot
16:32
Alex Karaban offensive rebound
16:28
+2
Alex Karaban makes two point layup
5-12
16:09
+2
Quion Burns makes two point hook shot
7-12
15:56
+3
Alex Karaban makes three point jump shot (Tristen Newton assists)
7-15
15:34
Tre Booker misses two point layup
15:32
Adama Sanogo defensive rebound
15:14
Adama Sanogo misses three point jump shot
15:12
Quion Burns defensive rebound
15:07
Quion Burns misses two point jump shot
15:05
Tristen Newton defensive rebound
15:04
+2
Jordan Hawkins makes two point layup
7-17
15:04
Sharks 30 second timeout
15:04
TV timeout
14:38
Quion Burns misses two point jump shot
14:36
Sharks offensive rebound
14:36
Andre Jackson Jr. personal foul
14:26
R.J. Greene misses two point layup
14:24
Adama Sanogo defensive rebound
14:16
Tristen Newton turnover (bad pass)
14:06
Alex Karaban shooting foul (Quion Burns draws the foul)
14:06
Quion Burns misses regular free throw 1 of 2
14:06
Quion Burns misses regular free throw 2 of 2
14:06
Andre Jackson Jr. defensive rebound
13:47
Tristen Newton turnover (bad pass)
13:47
Jacob Johnson turnover (bad pass)
13:39
+3
Joey Calcaterra makes three point jump shot (Tristen Newton assists)
7-20
13:17
Andre Jackson Jr. blocks Quion Burns's two point layup
13:15
Sharks offensive rebound
13:13
R.J. Greene turnover (bad pass) (Andre Jackson Jr. steals)
13:05
+2
Andre Jackson Jr. makes two point dunk
7-22
12:52
Jacob Johnson misses two point layup
12:50
Joey Calcaterra defensive rebound
12:44
Tristen Newton misses three point jump shot
12:42
Jacob Johnson defensive rebound
12:31
C.J. Delancy offensive foul
12:31
C.J. Delancy turnover (offensive foul)
12:25
+3
Jordan Hawkins makes three point jump shot (Hassan Diarra assists)