Hofstra puts scare into UConn, but falls 76-67
Photo credit: Hartford Courant | UConn's Jerome Dyson draws a foul and makes the basket against Hofstra on Tuesday. (Nov. 17, 2009)
Senior guard Jerome Dyson had 23 points, offsetting 25 points from Hofstra junior guard Charles Jenkins, and No. 12 UConn overcame a nine-point second-half deficit last night for a 76-67 win over the Pride in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Connecticut's Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.
UConn trailed Hofstra 54-45 with 9 minutes remaining but went ahead 59-58 on two free throws by Dyson with 5:20 to go. The teams then exchanged the lead four times before the Huskies went up for good 63-62 with 4:16 left.
With the loss, the Pride falls to 1-2, with both losses coming to nationally-ranked teams (the first was at No. 1 Kansas on Friday). UConn improves to 3-0 with the win and advances to the NIT semifinals at the Garden on Nov. 25-27. Hofstra likely will host a consolation bracket.
"We're past the point of playing for moral victories," Hofstra coach Tom Pecora said. "We wanted to win this game and get to the Garden next week. We had that one stretch to go up by nine, and then we kind of lost our way on offense a little bit and they got back into it. But if we play with that kind of effort consistently, we'll have a chance to be a pretty good team."
Jenkins had 21 of his 25 points in the second half for the Pride. Senior guard Cornelius Vines matched his career high with six three-pointers to score 18 points in the loss, while junior guard Nathaniel Lester had eight points and 11 rebounds and freshman forward Halil Kanacevic had eight points and 10 rebounds.
"Coach always says he has a lot of faith in me," Jenkins said. "But I have just as much faith in him and the things that he draws up to get me open. Whatever UConn threw at me defensively, he was able to come up with something to free me up and give me a chance to make plays."
Hofstra outrebounded UConn 43-39 despite playing for most of the game with a four-guard alignment.
Dyson was 14-of-15 from the line, missing only his final attempt after the game was sealed. Kemba Walker had 16 points and Stanley Robinson chipped in with 15.
