The No. 5 UConn men’s basketball team fell to No. 23 Louisville 79-78 in double overtime Saturday afternoon ,despite having numerous chances to put the game away in regulation and overtime.
In regulation, the game looked all but won after Kemba Walker hit a dramatic 3-pointer to take a 59-57 lead with 1:20 left, but UConn (17-3, 5-3) couldn’t grab the rebound after Preston Knowles missed a 3-pointer on the next possession, giving Louisville (17-4, 6-2) one last chance to tie the game. Peyton Siva hit the game-tying jumper, and the game went to overtime.
In overtime, UConn had a four-point lead with 38 seconds left but saw that lead evaporate after a sequence that included a Mike Marra 3-pointer and a Shabazz Napier missed free throw, setting Siva up to tie the game again, which he did.
The Huskies did have a chance to win the game at the end of both periods too, but in each case Walker missed the buzzer beating shot, and the game continued.
Failing to put Louisville away proved devastating in the second overtime, as the Cardinals immediately jumped out to a six-point lead after back-to-back three pointers by Knowles and Kyle Kuric. The Huskies were able to close the gap, and with nine seconds left, down 79-78, UConn got the ball back with the chance to win.
The ball found its way into Kemba Walker’s hands once again, but it came too late to get a close shot. Walker took a shot from well beyond the arc, but it didn’t fall, sealing the disappointing 79-78 loss.
“They truly beat us,” said coach Jim Calhoun. “I couldn’t be more disappointed with the way we handled it.”
Before the dramatic finish, the game looked well in hand for UConn. With 7:45 to play in the second half, the Huskies had a nine-point lead, but as time wound down, the Huskies saw that lead shrink as the Cardinals climbed back into the game.
Siva led the way for Louisville with 19 points, including the game-tying baskets in regulation and overtime and the final four points of the second overtime.
Siva had little trouble getting to the basket late in the game, taking advantage of the UConn frontcourt’s off day. He wasn’t the only one though, as four Cardinals scored in double-figures, all scoring at least 15 points.
For UConn, nearly all the offense came from three players. Napier led the Huskies in scoring with 23 points, followed closely by Lamb (21) and Walker (20). The high-scoring totals were no consolation for Napier, however, who missed four critical free throws down the stretch.
“Looking at the stats, I was 2-for-6 from the free throw line and it’s tough because I feel like I lost the game once again,” Napier said. “I’m the point guard, the point guard is not supposed to miss free throws. You can tell me many times that I didn’t lose the game, but when you miss four free throws in the game and you’re a point guard down the stretch, it’s going to be hard for you to win.”
With the loss, the Huskies fall to 5-3 in the Big East, sliding down to the No. 4 spot in the conference. Losses over the weekend by Villanova and Syracuse helped keep the Huskies from falling too far down in the standings, however, and the Huskies will get a chance to fight their way back on Wednesday when they host Syracuse at the XL Center.
With the win, Louisville moves into sole possession of the No. 2 spot in the Big East. The two teams will play again in Louisville Feb. 18.