The last time the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team played in the EA Sports Maui Invitational, they needed a last second shot from Denham Brown to beat Gonzaga to win the title. Fast forward to 2010 where they probably weren’t expected to make the finals but they did and they can now once again call themselves the champions.
Kemba Walker had 29 points to help UConn to an easy 84-67 win over the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats to win the 2010 EA Sports Maui Invitational in front of 2,400 mostly Kentucky fans and a nationally televised audience on ESPN at the Lahaina Civic Center in Maui.
The “young” Huskies move to 5-0 on the season while the Wildcats fall to 4-1.
Walker, who was named the EA Sports Maui Invitational MVP, also had two rebounds, six assists and two steals. Alex Oriakhi had another monster game as well as he had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Oriakhi joined Walker on the EA Sports Maui Invitational All-Tournament Team.
It was a coming out party for the freshman from Germany Niels Giffey who had 14 points. Shabazz Napier added 12 points, four assists and two steals.
The Wildcats were led by freshman Terrence Jones who finished with 24 points despite missing a good part of the first half with foul trouble. The only other Kentucky player in double figures was Darius Miller who had 15 points. Both Josh Harrellson and Eloy Vargas led the Wildcats with six rebounds each.
UConn got out to a quick 11-5 lead before the Wildcats clawed their way back to take a 16-14 lead with 12:34 to go in the first half. The Huskies battled back with five straight points to up by three.
Jones had scored the first 10 Kentucky points but disappeared after that. And with about 10 minutes to go in the half, Jones picked up his second foul and spent the rest of the half there. That’s when things changed for the Wildcats.
He went out with Kentucky trailing by four points at 22-18. The Huskies would work their lead to seven points at 29-22. The Wildcats cut that lead down to 29-27 with just over seven minutes to go on Doron Lamb jumper.
But that was as close as the Wildcats would get in the game as the Huskies closed out the first half on a 21-2 run behind 10 point from Walker to take a commanding 50-21 lead at the half.
The Wildcats tried to scratch their way back into the game in the second half but the Huskies were just too much. They got as close as 13 points at 56-43 before Napier delivered the knockout blow with a three-pointer.
I know I didn’t expect this to happen and I’m sure Jim Calhoun didn’t either. But what we now know is that this UConn team may not be as bad as everyone thought they may be. There are going to be growing pains at times this season but for three days, the Huskies played as a team.
Yes we know Walker is going to get the ball and he’ll probably lead the team in scoring on most nights. But with guys like Oriakhi, Napier and even Giffey stepping up on occasion, there is a lot of potential for this team.
It’s just up to them to realize it.
UConn is back in action next Tuesday night (Nov. 30) when they’ll host New Hampshire at Gampel Pavilion. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and it will be televised locally on SNY.
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Notes and musings:
UConn Huskies vs Kentucky Wildcats 11.24.10 EA Sports Maui Invitational Finals box score
The starters for the Huskies were Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Niels Giffey, Alex Oriakhi and Charles Okwandu.
Kemba Walker (MVP) was joined on the EA Sports Maui Invitational All-Tournment Team by Alex Oriakhi (UConn), Steve Bennett (Chaminade); Terrence Jones (Kentucky) and Kalin Lucas (Mich. St.).
Walker had 90 points over the three games. That fell just three short of the 93 scored by Chaminade’s George Gilmore in 1991.
UConn won the 2005 EA Sports Maui Invitational.
After shooting 60% (18-of-30) in the first half, UConn finished at 57.7% (30-of-52) from the floor. Kentucky shot 36.7% (22-of-60).
The Huskies had 16 assists on their 30 made baskets.
UConn shot the ball well from three-point land as they were 7-of-12 (58.3%). The Wildcats were 8-of-22 (36.4%)
After shooting 54% from the foul line in the semifinals against Michigan State, the Huskies shot 89.5% (17-of-19).
UConn won the battle of the boards 32-29.
The Huskies outscored Kentucky 42-29 in the paint and 16-5 on the fast break.
UConn had 14 points off of 11 Kentucky turnovers. The Wildcats had 14 points off of 12 Huskies turnovers.
The UConn bench outscored Kentucky’s 21-14 while the Wildcats held an 18-5 advantage on second chance points.
Photo credits: AP Photo, AP Photo
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