Tristen Newton collected 23 points and 11 rebounds to lift fifth-ranked UConn to a 77-57 victory over Indiana on Sunday afternoon at the Empire Classic in New York.
Newton added six assists and two steals for the Huskies (4-0), who will face the winner of the Texas-Louisville game in the tournament championship on Monday.
UConn’s Cam Spencer made 5 of 8 shots from the floor and all six of his free throws to highlight his 18-point performance. Alex Karaban added 13 points and six rebounds and Donovan Clingan added seven and nine, respectively.
The Huskies held a 44-22 advantage in rebounds, including 15-4 at the offensive end.
UConn shot 44.6 percent from the floor and held a decisive 19-6 edge in assists. The Huskies’ starting five accounted for 70 of their 77 points.
Indiana’s Malik Reneau scored 15 of his career-high 18 points in the first half before fouling out with 7:04 to play in the second and his team trailing by 10. The Huskies scored the next 10 points to effectively seal the win.
Kel’el Ware added 11 points on a 2-for-10 performance from the floor for the Hoosiers (3-1).
UConn overcame a sluggish start before finding its stroke from the floor. The Huskies built a 14-point lead at 35-21 following a layup from Karaban before the Hoosiers cut the deficit in half by intermission.
Undaunted, UConn started fast to begin the second half. Solomon Ball joined Newton with a layup before sinking a 3-pointer to stake the Huskies to a 44-30 lead.
Indiana, once again, shaved its deficit to seven as Xavier Johnson made a layup.
The Huskies’ Jaylin Stewart, however, stole the ball and fed Newton for a layup.
Newton was unable to convert the ensuing free throw but UConn raced down a loose ball and Newton sank a short jumper to extend his team’s lead to 54-43 with 12:08 to play.
–Field Level Media