It took Tyrese Martin and UConn 20 minutes of struggle inside Hinkle Fieldhouse before their inner beast came alive.
Martin, after a two-point first half, exploded for 25 of his 27 points to lead the Huskies to a 75-56 win over Butler, Thursday night in Indianapolis.
That’s three straight conference wins for UConn (13-4, 4-2 Big East). Their win over the Bulldogs completed a home-and-home sweep. On Tuesday night, UConn defeated Butler at the XL Center, 76-59.
The slow starts to games have been an issue for UConn this season. The first 20 minutes of this game, for both teams, were a tough watch. The Huskies committed seven turnovers and shot just 10-for-35 (28.6%) from the field. Butler held R.J. Cole their, leading scorer, scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting.
Adama Sanogo kept UConn afloat in the first half with nine of his 15 points. The sophomore finished the night with nine rebounds, one short of a fourth straight double-double.
Butler (9-9, 2-5 Big East) has struggled this season to gain traction. The Huskies, however, are in the top half of the standings in a competitive conference. These slow starts eventually will catch up to them unless the sense of urgency changes.
But meanwhile, there’s no denying how explosive this team looks when they’re clicking on all cylinders. UConn came out in the second half more focused and Martin’s aggressive approach set the tone.
Martin went off on Butler, hitting on 10 of 13 shots from the field, including four of six from downtown.
UConn’s depth is as good as any team in the nation. If it’s not Cole and Martin attacking from the perimeter, then it’s Sanogo, Tyler Polley, and Isaiah Whaley (11 points, 10 rebounds) pounding the boards and controlling the paint.
Hot shooting, great defense, attacking the rim, and playing with aggression. When UConn plays that way, they’re a must-watch team.
And they’ll need it, because the rest of the Big East has the Huskies on their radar.
Image: AJ Mast / Associated Press
