Men's Basketball: UConn Holds Off Georgetown in Hartford

HARTFORD — Despite making only four field goals in the second half, the UConn men's basketball team earned a much-needed win over an old rival Saturday afternoon, beating Georgetown 68-62 at the XL Center.

Rodney Purvis, again playing off the bench, led the Huskies with 17 points, shooting 4-for-13 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Sterling Gibbs (16), Shonn Miller (15) and Daniel Hamilton (11) all reached double figures, as well. All four had as many or more made free throws than field goals, as the Huskies shot 29-for-36 from the foul line, 20-for-25 in the second half.

UConn started strong, breaking out a 40-33 lead by halftime. The Huskies were shooting 50 percent at the break, but they left the offensive flair in the locker room. UConn shot 4-for-21 from the field in the second half. Georgetown bailed the Huskies out, however, putting UConn in the bonus within seven minutes.

Georgetown made 11 of 29 shots in the second half, as UConn's defense held strong. The Huskies forced the Hoyas to the outside, with Georgetown attempting 16 threes in the final 20 minutes, making five of them. UConn also stayed out of foul trouble, committing only six in the second half.

Phil Nolan was a standout on the defensive end for the Huskies. He drew charges and pressured Georgetown's bigs down the stretch. He added six points, including the first field goal of the second half, after UConn started 0-for-8 from the floor. His two free throws with 2:44 to play put UConn ahead for good at 63-62. Georgetown had taken the lead with 11:19 to play and was consistently in front the next nine minutes. But the Hoyas never got ahead by more than four points, despite the Huskies' poor shooting.

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Photo gallery credits: Ian Bethune - The UConn Blog