NFL
By: Ty Reeves
After four tune-up games, UConn traveled down to the Bahamas to take on Auburn in the men’s Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The No. 22 Huskies faced off against the No. 19 Tigers, in what proved to be the game of the season so far.
Adam Sanogo came out red hot for the Huskies, scoring all of UConn’s opening six points. UConn established its presence in the paint early on in the half. Jaylin Williams came in off the bench for Auburn making an immediate impact by knocking down a three to give the Tigers a 7-6 lead with just under 16 minutes to play.
Auburn then turned up the defensive pressure, forcing the Huskies into eight turnovers in the first seven minutes of the game. Unfortunately for UConn, guard Tyrese Martin took a hard fall. The senior would leave the game clutching his left wrist. On the back of a couple of layups, the Tigers would grow their lead to six before another Sanago bucket, cutting the lead to 12-8. Wendell Green Jr responded immediately for Auburn hitting a trifecta of threes to grow the Tigers lead to 21-10, forcing UConn to take a timeout.
Out of the break, Tyler Polley and RJ Cole would knock down a pair of back-to-back threes to cut the Auburn lead down to five. Polley would then go perfect from the line to get UConn within three, 21-18. Polley would fire again from deep to tie the game at 21 apiece, while freshman Jordan Hawkins hit a reverse layup underneath the rim to give UConn a two-point lead.
Tyrese Martin would return to the game for the Huskies and knock down a corner three to give UConn the 26-24 lead. The Huskies defensive pressure caused more issues for the Tigers, turning the ball over in back-to-back possessions. Then with under six minutes to play, Hawkins would step into a three for the Huskies. With 3:45 minutes to play in the first half and both offenses stagnating, Hawkins hit another three to grow UConn’s lead to 34-28.
Jordan Hawkins was lethal, knocking down another three for the Huskies but Zep Jasper responded with a three of his own for Auburn. Cole also got in on the action for UConn hitting a corner three and finishing a soft floater in the lane. With under ten seconds remaining in the half, Polley would get fouled on his three-point attempt. He would knock down two of three and the Huskies would take a 45-34 lead into halftime.
The Huskies picked up right where they left off forcing Auburn into two turnovers to open the half. Martin got the first points of the half for the Huskies, knocking down the fadeaway jump shot. Once again, Sanogo made his presence in the lane, forcing his way to the basket early. With just over 17 minutes to play, the sophomore would cut to the basket and finish at the rim for the bucket and the foul.
Auburn couldn’t get anything going, turning the ball over three times in the opening five minutes of the half. UConn was firing on all cylinders with Sanogo forcing another turnover underneath the rim that led to a Martin fastbreak dunk.
Off a UConn turnover, Auburn would fight their way back into the game when Kessler rejected Sanogo at the rim which resulted in Devan Cambridge corner three to shrink the UConn lead to eight. Both teams exchanged baskets but a three by Cole would put the Huskies lead back into double digits, 62-49. Off an Auburn-made free throw, Hawkins powered his way into the lane and finished at the rim to grow the UConn lead to 14.
With just under ten minutes to play Auburn got out in transition and Jabari Smith finished at the rim for the bucket and the foul to cut the UConn lead to eight. UConn answered right back with both Sanogo and Martin getting to the line for free throws, getting the UConn lead back to 12.
The tide turned for the Tigers as they capitalized on multiple empty possessions by the Huskies. Kessler would get fouled and finished at the rim to cut the UConn lead to 6. Cole, with some crafty handles, hit a three to grow the lead to nine but K.D. Johnson responded at the other end with a three of his own. The two sides exchanged baskets and with just over five minutes to play UConn would have a 74-68 lead.
Momentum shifted when Jasper layup led into a Huskies turnover. The Tigers would get out and transition and Smith would get followed going to the lane putting him at the free-throw line. He knocked both free throws to get within one of UConn. Smith would then give the Tigers a corner three to take a 76-74 lead. Smith then drove into the paint and finished the acrobatic layup to put Auburn up by three. The Huskies responded quickly and Tyrese Martin backed his way into the lane for an easy layup to cut the lead to one, forcing Auburn to take a time out.
Out of the timeout, Johnson one on one with Martin pulled up for a mid-range jump shot that went in off the backboard into the hoop. Martin responded with another layup to keep the Tigers’ lead at one.
The following possession, after moving the ball around, Johnson found himself with the rock at the top of the key. His pump fake got Martin off the ground forcing him into his fifth foul. Johnson went one for two at the line, giving Auburn only a two-point lead.
The following UConn possession, after multiple handoffs, Cole would drive to the hoop and get fouled. Cole hit the first free throw but the second was long. UConn fought and grabbed the offensive rebound. The ball made its way to Polley who dribbled, sidestepped, and knocked down a three to give UConn the 83-81 lead. Johnson dribbled down the court and went straight to the rim finishing through the two UConn defenders, tying the game at 83, forcing OT.
Both teams started overtime hitting threes. Both teams tied at 88, Whaley got fouled underneath the rim, awarding him his first trip to the free-throw line. He knocked in both free throws giving the Huskies the 90-88 lead. Smith would get downhill and get to the line, where he’d knock in both free throws.
UConn, up by one, got the ball down the court. After a missed Sanogo hook shot, Auburn grabbed the rebound but stepped out of bounds, awarding the Huskies the basketball. Off the inbounds, the ball would end up in the hands of Cole. The Senior pulled up and knocked down the three giving UConn a 95-91 lead.
After a pair of free throws by Johnson, UConn inbounded the ball, breaking the Auburn press. Hawkins dribbled the ball up the court for the Huskies, then he went to pick up his dribble and lost the ball with 11 seconds to play. Johnson made the layup evening the game at 95 and forcing a second overtime.
The second overtime belonged to Tyler Polley and the Huskies who would amount a nine-point lead early on in the period. Auburn fought, but the lead proved to be too massive and the Huskies walked away with the 115-109 victory over the Tigers.
UConn was led by Adama Sanogo who dropped a career-high 30 points in the overtime thriller for the Huskies. Polley and Cole both played a huge part in the Huskies’ offense scoring 24 points each. Auburn was led by Johnson who finished the game with 27 points. The star-studded freshman Smith added 22 in the loss.
𝐀 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭
See you tomorrow at noon
#ThisIsUConn | #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/gBHlQV9emx
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) November 25, 2021
