On Thursday night, the UConn Huskies women's basketball team wasn't sure if Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis was going to be able to play due to a thigh contusion. She did and they needed all of her 25 points.

24 hours later, the UConn men's basketball team found themselves in the same predicament with DeAndre Daniels who was suffering from back spasms. He played and if it weren't for his career night, the Huskies might have found themselves on the short end of the stick.

Behind Daniels career-high 23 points, UConn went on to beat the Harvard Crimson 57-49 in front of 9,113 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT.

The Huskies improve to 7-2. The Crimson fall to 4-4.

Even with the back spasms, Daniels was able to play 33 minutes. He scored his career-high 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 1-for-3 from beyond the arc. He went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Ryan Boatright was the only other Husky in double figures with 16 points. Shabazz Napier had a nice all-around game with six points, seven rebounds (game-high), nine assists (game-high) and four steals (game-high).

Wesley Saunders led the Crimson with 14 points and four assists. Steve Mondou-Missi chipped in with 10 points. Laurent Rivard led Harvard with six rebounds to go along with his five points.

This was another game where UConn played down to the level of their competition. The way it's been this year is the better the opponent, the better the Huskies play.

It was nice to Daniels fight through adversity and help the Huskies. Without his hot shooting, this game could have gone either way.

This was the Daniels that former head coach Jim Calhoun recruited to Storrs. One who could dominate the action at any given time. If he can continue to do this and the Huskies continue to get the great guard play from Boatright and Napier, they could surprise some teams still.

They still need the inside game but with Daniels being able to play inside and outside, this will give the opposing teams something else to focus on besides UConn's guards.

The Huskies get a break now as they prepare for their final exams.They'll next hit the court on Monday, December 17th when they host the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Harvard Crimson @ UConn Huskies 12.7.12 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie.

Here are UConn's postgame notes.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: brad horrigan – hartford courant (no. 5 in gallery)

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

It's game day for the UConn Huskies men's basketball team as they'll take on the Harvard Crimson at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally in Connecticut on SNY. You can also watch online at WatchESPN. You can also listen on the IMG/UConn Radio Network.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Men's Basketball links

On Enosch Wolf, Harvard … Notes and Quotes From UConn Practice [dom amore – hartford courant]

Enosch Wolf Earns Praise, DeAndre Daniels' Back Bothering Him, Harvard No Pushover [david borges – new haven register]

Notes/Quotes: Rebounding is 70% effort [kevin duffy – ct post]

Rebounding woes a hot topic (video) [gavin keefe – the day]

Huskies host Harvard: preview [lee lewis – republican-american]

Crimson coming to town [neill ostrout – journal inquirer]

Huskies to face Harvard [john silver – sny.com]

Huskies Take On Crimson On Friday [uconnhuskies.com]

UConn must do better job on the boards [ct post]

Enosch Wolf Coming Into His Own At UConn [hartford courant]

Huskies set to face Harvard [new haven register]

UConn men cry (Enosch) Wolf [the day]

UConn Women's Basketball links

KML rises to occasion for UConn [carl adamec – sny.com]

Referees leave coaches in foul mood [carl adamec – sny.com]

Geno On His Temper And His Bench [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Just Imagine If Mosqueda-Lewis Didn’t Play Thursday [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Have A Holly Jolly Break, UConn And Sun Fans [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Officials Ruined What Could Have Been A Spectacular Game [rich elliott – ct post]

Huskies Have Work To Do Heading Into Exam Break [rich elliott – ct post]

UConn outlast Penn State in foul-plagued affair [jim fuller – new haven register]

No matter how, women are 8-0 [lee lewis – republican-american]

UConn women beat Penn State, stay undefeated [ct post]

Mosqueda-Lewis rises to occasion for UConn [ct post]

UConn Women Wear Down No. 10 Penn State In Second Half [hartford courant]

UConn Women's Notebook: Auriemma Using All Options, But Prefers Tighter Rotation [hartford courant]

Weight Can Be A Touchy Subject For Female Athletes [hartford courant]

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis sparks win over Penn State [new haven register]

It wasn't pretty, but Huskies win top-10 matchup [the day]

UConn rides Faris defense past PSU [graham hays – espnw]

UConn Football links

DC answered some questions in his mailbag [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Other UConn related links

W. Soccer. Danielle Schulmann Tabbed to Second Team All-Region by NSCAA [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. Tony Cascio Scores For England's Derby County In International Training Session [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. Men's Soccer To Host Elite Clinic January 5 and 12 [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. Alvarez and Blake On TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Season [uconnhuskies.com]

M. Soccer. Alvarez, Blake and Diouf Named NSCAA All-Americans [uconnhuskies.com]

Softball. Seven Huskies Named 2011-12 NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes [uconnhuskies.com]

Field Hockey. Field Hockey Honored At Women's Basketball Game [uconnhuskies.com]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

For the second time this season, the No. 2/2 UConn Huskies women's basketball experienced something very rare. They fell behind in a game plus they received their second straight challenge from an opponent.

That's what happens though when you play a nationally-ranked team in the No. 10/10 Penn State Lady Lions.

Penn State closed but the Huskies used a 20-5 run in the second to pull out a hard fought 67-52 win in front of 8,072 at Gampel Pavilion on Thursday night.

UConn improves to 8-0 while the Lady Lions fall to 6-2.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who cleared for the game after suffering a thigh contusion in the Maryland win, returned with a vengeance. She led the Huskies with 25 points and had five rebounds and four steals before fouling out late in the game.

Brianna Banks improved play continued on Thursday as she was the only other member of the Huskies in double figures with 10 points. Breanna Stewart led UConn with seven rebounds to go along with her seven points. Kelly Faris and Bria Hartley led them with four assists each while Faris led the team with five steals.

Caroline Doty's high school teammate Maggie Lucas led the Lady Lions with 15 points. Ariel Edwards added 10 points while Mia Mickson had eight points and a game-high eight rebounds.

This was yet another physical game as the referees whistled 38 fouls in the game. This is also the second straight game where the opponent roughed up the Huskies and I expect that trend to continue.

But I like the scheduling done by Geno Auriemma this season. He's played two top 10 opponents this week and this was the fourth ranked opponent the Huskies have beaten this season (Texas A&M, Purdue, Maryland, Penn State). And with a matchup with No. 1 Stanford looming in the coming weeks, games like these will help prepare the Huskies.

UConn is now off for final exams and they return to the court on December 19th when they'll host the Oakland (MI) Golden Grizzlies at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Penn State Lady Lions @ UConn Huskies 12.6.12 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma.

Here are UConn's postgame notes.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: ap photo (no. 4 in gallery)

There's an old saying in baseball. You can never have enough pitching.

And while the Boston Red Sox still need starting pitching, they have added yet another righty to the bullpen mix.

According to multiple media reports, the Red Sox and Koji Uehara have agreed on a one-year deal. The deal is reportedly worth $4.25 million.

Uehara spent the 2012 season with Texas Rangers after being traded there mid-season in 2011 by the Baltimore Orioles. In 37 games last year, Uehara had no record with a 1.75 ERA (7 ER/36 IP).

In 157 career games over four seasons, he is 4-9 with a 2.89 ERA and 0.921 WHIP which is pretty darn good.

Personally, I think this is a great signing.

Uehara has pitched in the AL East before and understands the rigors. And he gives the Red Sox a reliable setup man in front of closer Andrew Bailey. Of course the same thing was said about Mark Melancon last year. So we'll have to see.

Either way, great pickup by GM Ben Cherington.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: getty images

The Big East Conference announced their 2012 postseason football honors and there were eight members of the UConn Huskies football team honored. Three were named to the All-Big East First Team while five were named to the All-Big East second team.

Here's the full release from UConn:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – University of Connecticut senior defensive end Trevardo Williams (Bridgeport, Conn.) was honored as a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team, released by the conference on Thursday morning.  Joining Williams on the First Team defense are redshirt senior linebacker Sio Moore (Apex, N.C.) and redshirt sophomore linebacker Yawin Smallwood (Worcester, Mass.).

Overall, eight Huskies were honored with selections to the All-BIG EAST squads.  On offense, redshirt senior guard Adam Masters (Bethesda, Md.) and redshirt senior tight end Ryan Griffin (Londonderry, N.H.) were named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team along with senior wide receiver Nick Williams (Windsor, N.J.), representing the Huskies as a return specialist.

Redshirt seniors Dwayne Gratz (Piscataway, N.J.) and Blidi Wreh-Wilson (Edinboro, Pa.) were selected as the cornerbacks on the All-BIG EAST Second Team defense.

Trevardo Williams, a Second Team selection a year ago, totaled a team-high 11.5 sacks and led the league with 0.96 sacks per game.  He finished his four year career at UConn as the all-time leaders in sacks with 30.5.  Williams was also third on the team with 13.5 tackles for loss and ranked tied for fourth in the BIG EAST with 1.12 per game.

Moore, playing at outside linebacker, and Smallwood, at inside linebacker, formed a tough linebacking unit for the UConn defense this season.  Moore finished second on the team with eight sacks and second in the league with 0.67 per game.  He was also first on the team with 15.5 TFLs and second in the league with a 1.29 average, while Smallwood was second on the team at 15.0 and third in the league at 1.25.  Smallwood also led the Huskies with 120 total tackles, averaging 10.0 per game, good enough for third best in the league.

Masters earned the nod to the Second Team, despite playing just seven games this season; all starts at right guard.  He started 30 games over the course of his career, playing in 37 overall.

For Griffin, it is his second straight season being named the Second Team tight end.  He caught 29 passes in his final season for 484 yards, averaging 16.7 yards per reception.  Griffin caught his team-leading sixth touchdown pass of the season on a career-long 74 yard reception against Cincinnati last Saturday.  His 116 career receptions ranks 10^th all-time at Connecticut and are the second most among tight ends, while his 1,500 yards are 12^th overall and second for a tight end.  For his career, Griffin caught 10 touchdown passes, which ties him for second most among tight ends and his six this season also ties him for second most in a single season.

Nick Williams was perhaps the most versatile weapon for the UConn offense this season, but made his biggest impact on special teams.  On 21 punt returns, he averaged 12.0 yards per return and scored two touchdowns, including a career-long 80-yard return in a win over Pittsburgh (Nov. 9).  He also ran back a 58-yard return for a score in a win at Maryland (Sep. 15).  On kick returns, Williams ran back 24 kick-offs for an average of 20.4 per return, ranking fourth in the league.  In his career, he also ran back a pair of kick returns for touchdowns, making him the only player in program history with two punt and kick returns for a touchdown.  Williams’ 2,045 career kick return yards are the most in UConn history and his 25.9 average ranks second.

Williams also caught 30 passes for 334 yards and ran the ball 10 times for 40 yards, including a three-yard score in a win at No. 18 Louisville (Nov. 24).  He ranked 10^th in the BIG EAST for all-purpose yards at 93.0 per game.

In the secondary, Gratz, a repeat Second Team selection, and Wreh-Wilson were mainstays over their four year careers.  Gratz started 41 games, while Wreh-Wilson started 39.  Gratz led the Connecticut defense with three interceptions this season, including a 37-yard pick returned for a touchdown in the season opening win over Massachusetts (Aug. 30).  For his career, he totaled eight interceptions for 152 return yards, including a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown against Oklahoma in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl.

Wreh-Wilson picked off one pass in his final season and it came in the third overtime of the win at Louisville to set up UConn’s game-winning field goal.  He too collected eight career interceptions, totaling 171 return yards and ran back a pair for scores in 2010.

For a full look at all of the 2012 Big East Postseason Football Honors, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.

2012 BIG EAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL AWARDS

BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville (So., Miami, Fla.)

BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers (Sr., Elizabeth, N.J.)

BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Matt Brown, RB, Temple (Sr., Baltimore, Md.)

BIG EAST ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple (Fr., Stratford, Conn.)

BIG EAST COACH OF THE YEAR

Charlie Strong, Louisville

Kyle Flood, Rutgers

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	Hometown/High School
WR	Alec Lemon *	Syracuse	Sr.	Crofton, Md./Arundel
WR	DeVante Parker	Louisville	So.	Louisville, Ky./Ballard
OT	Eric Lefeld	Cincinnati	So.	Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater
OT	Justin Pugh	Syracuse	Sr.	Holland, Pa./Council Rock South
OG	Austen Bujnoch	Cincinnati	Jr.	Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder
OG	Antwan Lowery	Rutgers	Jr.	Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus
C	Mario Benavides	Louisville	Sr.	Los Fresnos, Texas/Los Fresnos
TE	Travis Kelce	Cincinnati	Sr.	Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights
QB	Teddy Bridgewater	Louisville	So.	Miami, Fla./Northwestern
RB	Ray Graham	Pittsburgh	Sr.	Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth
RB	Montel Harris	Temple	Sr.	Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian
K	Maikon Bonani	USF	Sr.	Lake Wales, Fla./Lake Wales
RS	Matt Brown	Temple	Sr.	Baltimore, Md./Peddie School/Milford Academy
–
DEFENSE
Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	Hometown/High School
DL	Dan Giordano	Cincinnati	Sr.	Frankford, Ill./Lincoln-Way East
DL	Trevardo Williams *	Connecticut	Sr.	Bridgeport, Conn./Canterbury
DL	Aaron Donald	Pittsburgh	Jr.	Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills
DL	Scott Vallone	Rutgers	Sr.	Central Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony's
LB	Greg Blair	Cincinnati	Sr.	Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley/Lackawanna CC
LB	Sio Moore	Connecticut	Sr.	Apex, N.C./Apex
LB	Yawin Smallwood	Connecticut	So.	Worcester, Mass./Doherty
LB	Khaseem Greene *	Rutgers	Sr.	Elizabeth, N.J./Avon Old Farms
CB	Adrian Bushell	Louisville	Sr.	DeSoto, Texas/Cedar Valley CC
CB	Logan Ryan	Rutgers	Jr.	Berlin, N.J./Eastern
S	Duron Harmon	Rutgers	Sr.	Magnolia, Del./Caesar Rodney
S	Shamarko Thomas	Syracuse	Sr.	Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes
P	Brandon McManus	Temple	Sr.	Hatfield, Pa./North Penn

 * unanimous selection

ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	Hometown/High School
WR	Mike Shanahan	Pittsburgh	Sr.	North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin
WR	Devin Street	Pittsburgh	Jr.	Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty
WR	Brandon Coleman	Rutgers	So.	Accokeek, Md./Bishop McNamara
OT	Alex Kupper	Louisville	Sr.	Louisville, Ky./Trinity
OT	Kaleb Johnson	Rutgers	So.	Jacksonville, Fla./Edward H. White
OT	Martin Wallace	Temple	Sr.	New York, N.Y./Beacon School
OG	Adam Masters	Connecticut	Sr.	Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman
OG	Mark Popek	USF	Sr.	Plant City, Fla./Plant City
C	Ryan Turnley	Pittsburgh	Sr.	Hopewell, Pa./Hopewell
QB	Ryan Nassib	Syracuse	Gr.	West Chester, Pa./Malvern Prep
TE	Ryan Griffin	Connecticut	Sr.	Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry
RB	George Winn	Cincinnati	Sr.	Southfield, Mich./Detroit Jesuit
RB	Jawan Jamison	Rutgers	So.	Stark, Fla./The Bolles School
K	Brandon McManus	Temple	Sr.	Hatfield, Pa./North Penn
RS	Nick Williams	Connecticut	Sr.	East Windsor, N.J./The Hun School
–
DEFENSE
Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	Hometown/High School
DL	Walter Stewart	Cincinnati	Sr.	Ashville, Ohio/Teays Valley
DL	Cory Grissom	USF	Sr.	La Grange, Ga./Troup County
DL	Brandon Sharpe	Syracuse	Sr.	Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes
DL	John Youboty	Temple	Sr.	Houston, Texas/Klein
LB	Preston Brown	Louisville	Jr.	Cincinnati, Ohio/Northwest
LB	Sam Barrington	USF	Sr.	Jacksonville, Fla./Terry Parker
LB	Tyler Matakevich	Temple	Fr.	Stratford, Conn./St. Joseph's/Milford Academy
CB	Dwayne Gratz	Connecticut	Sr.	Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway
CB	Blidi Wreh-Wilson	Connecticut	Sr.	Edinboro, Pa./General McLaine
S	Calvin Pryor	Louisville	So.	Port St. Joe, Fla./Port St. Joe
S	Hakeem Smith	Louisville	Jr.	Jonesboro, Ga./Riverdale
S	Jason Hendricks	Pittsburgh	Jr.	Brooklyn, N.Y./Hudson Catholic
P	Pat O'Donnell	Cincinnati	Jr.	Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central
P	Justin Brockhaus-Kann	USF	Sr.	Winter Springs, Fla./Winter Springs

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

The MLB Rule 5 Draft closed out the 2012 Baseball Winter Meetings on Thursday and the Boston Red Sox came away losing two players but gaining three.

In the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, the Red Sox lost RHP Josh Fields to the Houston Astros and RHP Ryan Pressly to the Minnesota Twins. They selected Jeff Kobernus a second baseman from the Washington Nationals. They then flipped him to Detroit Tigers for utility player Justin Henry.

The Astros and Twins each will have to pay the Red Sox $50,000 and must keep them on their 25-man rosters for the entire season. If not, the Red Sox can buy back the players for $25,000.

In the Triple-A phase of the draft, the Red Sox took LHP Jack McGeary from the Washington Nationals and RHP Jon Bachanov from the Chicago White Sox.

Full results of the 2012 MLB Rule 5 Draft

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

It's game day for the UConn Huskies women's basketball team as they'll take on the Penn State Nittany Lions at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally in Connecticut on SNY. You can also watch online at SNYUConn.com for a small fee. You can also listen on the IMG/UConn Radio Network.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women's Basketball links

UConn, Penn State find common ground [carl adamec – sny.com]

The Guide To Toughness – By Kelly Faris [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Mosqueda-Lewis Now Likely A Game Time Decision [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Mosqueda-Lewis Questionable For Game Vs. Penn State Thursday [rich elliott – ct post]

Penn State's Coquese Washington on Breanna Stewart [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn/Penn State a natural rivalry [jim fuller – new haven register]

Penn State offers different challenge for the Huskies [jim fuller – new haven register]

UConn's Stewart progressing nicely, with a few bumps in the road [ct post]

Auriemma Likes His UConn Players Tough, And They Showed It [hartford courant]

Huskies look to get in motion against Penn State [new haven register]

UConn Men's Basketball links

The effect of Kevin Ollie’s one-year contract on recruiting [kevin duffy – ct post]

Huskies need more from frontcourt [john silver – sny.com]

As Expected, UConn Having Trouble Grabbing Rebounds [hartford courant]

Three Points from Wednesday's loss to N.C. State [new haven register]

Other UConn related links

UConn Surges In Popularity On SNY [uconnhuskies.com]

Field Hockey. Old Dominion Joins BIG EAST Field Hockey Conference in 2013 [uconnhuskies.com]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams as well as the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women's Basketball links

Huskies learn they must get physical [carl adamec – sny.com]

Kelly Faris: Numbers That Define A Player [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Mike Thibault Stops By The XL Center; Talks Life, Faris, Stewie [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Yet Another Delay In Hardwick-NBA-Auriemma Case [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Banks Continues To Impress For The Huskies [rich elliott – ct post]

Auriemma Hopeful Mosqueda-Lewis Will Play Vs. Penn State [rich elliott – ct post]

Huskies prove their mettle [jim fuller – new haven register]

Huskies add to resume [lee lewis – republican-american]

It’s great to face my old teammate and friend [maggie lucas – espnw]

W. Basketball. No. 2 Women's Hoops Hosts No. 10 Penn State Thursday at 7 [uconnhuskies.com]

Kelly Faris: UConn's Do-Everything Guard [hartford courant]

Three Points from Monday's win over Maryland [new haven register]

UConn Men's Basketball links

Kevin Oliie’s Take; Wrapping Things Up From The Garden [dom amore – hartford courant]

UConn Battles, But Falls to Stronger NC State [david borges – new haven register]

Ollie is the right fit, but how about Pasqualoni? [kevin duffy – ct post]

Post-game breakdown, video: North Carolina State [gavin keefe – the day]

Identity Crisis [uconn huskies basketball]

North Carolina State beats UConn 69-65 [ct post]

Bigger, Faster N.C. State Beats UConn, 69-65 [hartford courant]

Learning Ollie's Offense Is A Work In Progress [hartford courant]

Herbst Battles To Get UConn Into Big East Tournament [hartford courant]

North Carolina State holds off Huskies in Jimmy V Classic [new haven register]

N.C. State beats UConn at the Garden 69-65 [the day]

NC State edges UConn at the Garden [the hour]

UConn Football links

Big East power rankings [andrea adelson – espn.com]

UConn Athletic Director Warde Manuel Confirms Paul Pasqualoni’s Return For A Third Season, And A Word To Fans [desmond conner – hartford courant]

Ollie is the right fit, but how about Pasqualoni? [kevin duffy – ct post]

UConn AD Confirms Paul Pasqualoni Will Return, But Wants To See Adjustments [hartford courant]

Tebucky Jones Jr. leaving UConn football program for Fordham [new britain herald]

Other UConn related links

M. Ice Hockey. UConn Hosts Army Friday In Final Game Before Holiday Break [uconnhuskies.com]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

The famous line of the late North Carolina State Wolfpack basketball coach and one time UConn Huskies assistant coach Jim Valvano was "Don't Ever Give Up".

On Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in the tournament named after him, both teams followed that mantra to a tee.

Unfortunately for UConn, they fell just a bit short as the Wolfpack hit their free throws down the stretch for a 69-65 win over the Huskies.

UConn falls to 6-2 on the season while NC State improves to 5-2.

Shabazz Napier had a great first half with 15 points but finished with 19 points. He also had two rebounds and two assists. Ryan Boatright had a nice night with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Enosch Wolf also had a great game off the bench as he had 10 points and pulled down six boards.

C.J. Leslie, a one-time UConn recruit, and Lorenzo Brown both led the Wolfpack with 16 points and four assists. Leslie ended up with a double-double as he had 13 rebounds.

After going scoreless in the first half, Richard Howell ended up with a double-double of his own with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Scott Wood rounded out the Wolfpack in double digits with 13 points as well.

The Huskies dominated the early part of the first half getting out to as much as an 11 point lead. NC State did battle back though to take a one-point lead though at the break.

In the second half, it went back and forth before the Pack seized control late. And they did that with their bigs who basically took over and got State a hard fought victory.

We knew one of the problems this Huskies team would have is on the inside. They just don't have the depth or talent there. Wolf was a surprise on Tuesday night and he basically needs to play out of his gourd every time out. But if he can do that, UConn might have somewhat of a chance on the inside.

Either way, I am proud of the way the Huskies battled all game long. It is a by-product of their new head coach Kevin Ollie, who needs to be locked up long-term as soon as possible so the Huskies won't get hurt in recruiting. Especially when they need a big man who can come in and play right away.

Tyler Olander is basically useless right now and Phil Nolan isn't ready yet. So until then, we're going to continue to see UConn rely on their guards until the inside game improves.

UConn is back in action on Friday night when they'll host the Harvard Crimson at Gampel Pavilion on campus in Storrs, CT. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

To continue reading, please click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

North Carolina State vs UConn Huskies Jimmy V Classic 12.4.12 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: getty images

Backup catcher ✓
First baseman/catcher ✓
Two catchers already on roster ✓

Next up on the list for the Boston Red Sox to sign is/was another catcher right fielder. And for him, they had to leave the mainland.

According to several media reports, the Red Sox and the "Flying Hawaiian" Shane Victorino have agreed to terms to a three-year deal. It's reportedly worth $38-39 million over three years.

And who needs reports when you have Twitter.

Victorino is expected to play right field for the Red Sox next season and provides insurance in center field should something happen to Jacoby Ellsbury like an injury or even a trade. He did have a down year between his time with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 154 games between the two teams, he hit .255 with 11 home runs, 55 RBIs and 39 stolen bases. He is a career .275 hitter with 90 home runs, 409 RBIs and 201 stolen bases.

Now it seems the Red Sox have their starting nine and the signing of Victorino likely means they will not be bringing back Cody Ross. I still expect the Red Sox to be active in free agency or even with a trade to get another starting pitcher.

And as free agency goes on, we can expect some of the signings the Red Sox make to provide depth and bench spots.

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photo credit: getty images