UConn Battles, Defeats South Florida 77 66 To Advance In AAC Tournament   Hartford Courant
Channel: Discover Tv
Date: 2017-03-10

UConn Battles, Defeats South Florida 77-66 To Advance In AAC TournamentUConn started off with pressure defense, prompting five early turnovers to take a 9-0 lead. Then the Huskies got sloppy and let USF back in it. Thorpe and Troy Holston hit three-pointers during a stretch as the Bulls briefly took the lead.

Down 19-18, UConn outscored USF 24-10 over the last 9½ minutes. Purvis brought the building to live with a baseline drive and dunk, and followed up with a three-pointer next time down the floor to put the Huskies ahead by seven. UConn slowly took control on the boards and attacked the basket consistently and got to the line, making 17 of 18 free throws in the half. Purvis scored 13 points, Vital nine. Adams, though he had only four points and two assists, was moving much better on his injured left ankle and running the offense effectively. The Huskies couldn't get a shot off on their last possession, but took a 42-29 lead into the break.

UConn, in a recurring pattern of the season, got sloppy with a double-digit lead and started the second half with a couple of turnovers. South Florida cashed in and pulled within eight, on Michael Bibby's long three-pointer. Vital missed two at the line, and Bibby hit a three at the other end to make it 44-39 before Purvis scored along the baseline to end the slide. Next possession, Purvis hit two at the line.

Turnovers and empty possessions continued to mount as the Bulls pulled within three points on Tulio Da Silva's basket with 13:28 left, and two on Ruben Guerrero's basket. Purvis again had the response, a three-pointer to make it 57-52, and a drive through the lane to make it 59-52, his 24th point.
A miracle run in a conference tournament usually doesn't start this way.

It doesn't start with a tense, possession-by-possession finish against the worst team in that conference.

But for UConn, the American Athletic Conference Tournament started just that way, with a win and a deep sigh of relief. Fifth-year senior Rodney Purvis, at least, was not ready for his career to end. He scored 30 points, the biggest a three-pointer with 36 seconds left, to carry the Huskies to a 77-66 victory over South Florida at the XL Center.

The sixth-seeded Huskies beat USF by 21- and 46-point margins earlier this season, but found themselves fighting for their life throughout the second half on Thursday night. And they survive to play one more time, against Houston on Friday night at nine. The Huskies lost twice to Houston during the regular season.

Amida Brimah had 13 points and seven rebounds, and Christian Vital had 11 for UConn, which scored 27 points at the free-throw line. South Florida fought its heart out, but turned the ball over 21 times. UConn turned it over 16, which kept the game close.

The Huskies were poised at times in the first half to run the Bulls out of the building, as they did twice this season. But South Florida, despite a 7-22 record and 17 losses in 18 conference games, was not ready to bow out. They played as if there was something on the line, pride most notably, and clawed back from a 13-point halftime deficit.

They made it a one-possession game several times, and were within three when Purvis blocked a three-point attempt by Geno Thorpe. UConn converted that change of possession into two free throws from Amida Brimah, as the game crossed the three-minute mark. But Thorpe hit a three-pointer to make it 67-65 with 2:40 to play.

Jalen Adams got a shooter's roll on a big jump shot, then UConn drew an offensive foul on the other end, Thorpe fouling out with 23 points. UConn prompted a turnover, USF's 21st, and Purvis hit a killer three-pointer with 36 seconds left to finally allow UConn to rest easy.