Gordon Paces UConn Past UNC Asheville

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Hartford, CT  -  (December 21, 2002) -  Sophomore Ben Gordon (Mt. Vernon, NY) scored 29 points as eighth-ranked Connecticut defeated UNC Asheville, 117-67, Saturday before a crowd of 14,102 at the Hartford Civic Center.

The win was the Huskies seventh in a row to start the season, while the Bulldogs slip to 3-4.

UConn showed signs of rust caused by an 11-day layoff for semester exams, leading just 27-25 with 6:28 to play in the first half.  However, the Huskies outscored the Bulldogs, 24-8, to close out the half with a comfortable 51-33 halftime lead. Gordon paced the spurt with 11 points while sophomore center Emeka Okafor (Houston, TX) scored seven in the key run.

Connecticut turned up the offense after intermission, shooting 69% and scoring 66 points.  Gordon finished shooting 12 of 18 from the field, including five of 10 from three-point range.  Okafor, the nation’s leading rebounder and shot-blocker, grabbed 10 rebounds (his seventh straight double figure rebounding effort of the season) and swatted away four UNC Asheville shots.

Also in double figures for the Huskies were freshman swingmen Denham Brown (Toronto, ON) and Rashad Anderson (Lakeland, FL), who scored 15 and 13 points respectively.

UConn finished the game shooting a sizzling 62.7% (47 for 75), a season-high percentage.  The Huskies enjoyed a 46-32 rebounding advantage, and the Huskies were in a giving mood, dishing off 26 assists, led by junior point guard Taliek Brown (Queens, NY) who had nine.

Connecticut returns to action next Saturday, December 28, when they host in-state rival Central Connecticut at the Hartford Civic Center.  Tip-off is slated for 12:00 noon and the game will be televised locally by WTXX-TV 20.

POST GAME QUOTES

UConn Head Coach Jim Calhoun 

We had two terrific days in practice where we really ran, and were quick.  We played with great energy.  And we wanted to try to rotate more people today even when the score was close early and really get ourselves, hopefully, into a high energy game.

They're a good team and they're playing a suicide schedule -- tomorrow night Holy Cross...but I think they caught us on a day in which we did what we can do really well, and that's run, and that's share the basketball, and that's put pressure defense on you.  You can't do it against every single team because some teams are not going to succumb to pressure, they're going to, actually, shred your pressure a little bit, especially in the full court.  But in the half court, I thought, overall, we played very good defense.

I thought we had a really good sense of energy.  I liked the locker room before the game.  I thought they were really focused in on what they had to do.  And in all honesty, even in the early going when it was 8-8 and the game was relatively close, I really felt good about the energy level we were showing that I thought, eventually, would have a telling effect. 

I thought we were fast.  I thought we were energetic.  And if we play with that type of energy...it makes us a really, really tough team to stop.

Today I thought we showed a little bit more our depth, we showed our speed, and I thought we mainly showed what we are good at.  You can't do it every game, someone's going to find ways to stop it....

On Gordon
He's not a good player, he's a great player.  When you see him in person he has about 5 gears, from fast to lightening.  And he's so strong up with the ball, and he can see the floor.  He was absolutely terrific. 

Emeka Okafor

It was fun. The best part was seeing the walk-ons get in and all the rest of the guys. I was just cheering them on. Everyone was having a good timeout there, we were winning, we were playing together, and just doing our thing.

On Ben Gordon’s play
I’m used to it and I think the crowd is getting used to it…It’s just Ben being Ben – doing what he wants to do when he wants to do it. And you’re going to continue to see that the rest of the season.

We’re a very versatile team. We’re very deep. We have a lot of weapons. And in games like these, you get to see more of those. It’s an opportunity for them to come out and show what thy have to offer.

In games like these, you just have to go out and play hard. You have to come to every game with the same approach. If you take lighter than another one, next thing you know is you’ll be down by 20 and then you’ll lose. Last game we were tested by UMass. We came out, they had us up by 30-9, and our pride was tested, our willpower was tested and we answered. We passed it. We came back strong, we kept focused, and we won.

Any game you can win by 50 is a good one. I’d rather us be up by 50 than struggle than whole game. So, of course, a game like this is always welcomed.

On McGonagi getting the 2 fouls
He was a big guy, and you could tell he was real experienced. Once he got a couple of fouls, he had to be more tentative and that made it a little bit easier for me to play D.

Was this the best you’ve run this season
I think we ran pretty well today. Is it UConn at its best? Maybe not. It’s only game seven. I think we’re nowhere near our peak, nowhere where we want to be.

Difficult to focus after final over
Not really. Going home you just have to put out of your mind. You have to come here to play. Once you step on the court, all else goes out of your mind except winning that ballgame.

Denham Brown

On the team coming together
To get guys touches, and not really take all the shots, is part of what this team is all about – sportsmanship, teamwork, and encouraging each other.

On the behind the back pass
We were just getting hyped. From the jump, we were just trying to go at them, go down there throats on defense and on offense. We just have to play hard. On that certain play, just the excitement of the moment and what was going on, Ben just passed me the ball and I said I just have to make another play. I gave it t Chad and he got a dunk.

On the 2nd half run
I thought we were playing the same way throughout the whole game – hard – but I guess our defense just stepped up a couple notches and shots weren’t dropping for them. There best player, Smith, got injured and that just wrapped it up right there.

Marcus White

I just felt like I’ve been getting a lot stronger and used to the weight program, so my body is becoming physically ready to play in practice. And that’s been improving my play in practice, so I think that’s impressed coach a lot.

Rashad Anderson

On what has opened up 3pt shots:  I think it is just everyone moving the ball around and getting open shots for everybody.

I love to play every game and I love to  shoot so every game is fun to me.  I play every game like it is my last. 

When Coach calls on me I have to answer, that's how I look at it.

On if he was surprised that Marcus White played today:  Marcus has been playing well in practice every day...he has been ready to rebound and block shots, scoring, he has been doing it all. 

On if Marcus plays well then he'll lose playing time:  It doesn't really matter to me, as long as we get the win I'm happy.

It was a good test, but it is a good test for us every game.  But in particular, when it comes January, February and March that's the biggest test of the season.

Does a game like this help confidence:  Without a doubt, it has to. When you play a game like this and make shots  your confidence can do nothing but grow.   

Chad Wise

It was good to get out there and run around, show the crowd and the coaches what you can do in a game-time situation. 

When the crowd gets into it it makes it much easier for you.

I try to keep them into the game.  Towards the end they tend to get quiet but if you run the floor and make tough passes play good defense and force turnovers then the crowd gets into it more. 

Over the past week with Scott (Hazelton) gone I've been working mostly with the second group.  When he was here I was switching back and forth.  Now I have a good sense of where I'm going to be and when I'm going to play.  I always kept my head up and played hard.  I tried to prove to Coach in practice that I can play against our 1st and 2nd teams and that I'm good enough to play (in games).

Playing time:  It is probably harder on Coach then it is on me, I know he wants to play 10 or 11 guys every game. 

Ben Gordon

On his 9 assists:  It was just a matter of Taliek being on the bench and me being on the point.  It is something I've tried to get better at over the years.  Most people just label me as a 2 guard and I feel that my primary position is the point.  I just try to work on those things when I'm in the game.  If I am fortunate to make the jump (to point guard), then I'll be ready.

On deep bench:  We knew we could be a team like that from the beginning of the year, it was just a matter of us working hard enough so that everybody can get those minutes.  If we are playing lazy and the game is close then everyone is not going  to be able to get into the rotation. 

On teams keying on him and opening up the inside:  One thing with Emeka is that he gets such great position that it is almost hard not to give him the ball most of the time...sometimes...since he is always open...so sometimes I have to look him off to get my own shot! 

On bench play:  They did a good job when they went in there, they were ready to play and they helped us elevate our margin of victory.

UNC Ashville Head Coach Eddie Biedenbach

I thought we were mentally prepared and ready to play and we battled them early and did a lot of things we wanted to do.  We were able to get back on defense and move the ball on offense....  We had to guard against getting into a running game against them and, early, we did.

We needed to toughen up and be a better basketball team in the last 6 minutes of the first half.

They're just too big and strong and good a basketball team.

The thing I like about them -- I didn't particularly like it today -- I think they can be a better team as the season goes on, depending on how they mesh as a team with Anderson and the rest of the guys that come off the bench, Robertson.  They're really an excellent basketball team.  A lot of firepower.  I think they shot it extremely well today and good teams, and great teams, are going to do that when they're not defended, when they can run the ball up and make layups, run it up and pound it inside, move it around and get open jump shots.  Great teams are going to make shots.

We just didn't do the job defensively for 26 minutes in the game. 

These guys are a very good basketball team.  They're definitely a top 10 team.

We didn't challenge them.  I would have liked to have made it a tougher game to see how they are under pressure, but they got free wheeling and everything and just kicked our tail.

At 27-25 in the first half
At that point we took a couple of bad shots and Ben McGonagil was in foul trouble -- we don't have a whole lot of strength behind him.  We need to get tougher in our backup roles.  So they were able to run out of there and get some good inside baskets, and they pounded it inside.

To Connecticut's credit, they're an unselfish basketball team.  I think Okafor and Taliek Brown are excellent players and they kind of make them go, but the whole time Gordon's in there just sitting around making shot after shot after shot.  He's a great player.

On Gordon
He can shoot from any distance, he's tough penetrating, he hits the open man, he's good defensively.