Ousmane Barro’s 17 points and 13 rebounds led the Marquette Golden Eagles past the UCONN Huskies by the score of 73-69 on Wednesday night at Gampel Pavilion. Jerel McNeal had 19 points and Dominic James had 17 points for the Golden Eagles. Doug Wiggins led the way for the young UCONN Huskies with 19 points while Jeff Adrien added 18 points and 7 rebounds.

It was a typical Big East game. Very physical, lots of half court sets. Both teams struggled mightily offensively in the first half as neither team was able to do much. UCONN shot only 29% in the first half but was able to be within 4 points at halftime. Considering all the turnovers UCONN made they were lucky to be that close at the half. UCONN tied the game at 44 all but Marquette went on a 10-0 run to essentially put the game away. UCONN, courtesy of Doug Wiggins’ 3 point shooting, made a valiant effort at the end of the game to try and get back in it but it just wasn’t enough.

Notes and observations:

• Jim Calhoun was honored before the game with a banner commerating his induction into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame.
• The starters were Price, Dyson, Johnson, Thabeet, and Adrien.
• Two minutes in the game, UCONN had played 10 guys. Calhoun wasn’t happy with everyone and showed his trademark quick hook.
• The backcourt duo of Jerome Dyson and AJ Price struggled heavily tonight. They combined for 9 points,3 assists, and 4 turnovers. They shot a combined 1 of 7 from the floor.
• Marcus Johnson was a non-factor on the offensive end of the floor tonight. He was 0 for 3 from the floor and had 0 points.
• Hasheem Thabeet is still struggling as well. He too decided to take the night off offensively but he did block 4 shots.
• Craig Austrie was the other Husky in double figures with 10 points.
• Marquette outscored UCONN 38-20 in the paint and also out rebounded the Huskies by 11 rebounds (50-39).
• This was Marquette’s first trip to Gampel Pavilion. They are the first team to win in their first trip there.
• The loss ended a 31 game home court winning streak.
• This was the longest regulation game I’ve ever seen. It took 2 and half hours to play 2 halves of basketball.

For UCONN, it was their second consecutive loss in three games and third in the last four. To me, UCONN had trouble with Marquette playing a 3 guard set. Plus it didn’t help, they had 21 turnovers. For the game, they shot only 32%. I think on Saturday night at MSG vs St. John’s, we will see one change to the lineup. I would have to say that we will probably see Doug Wiggins replace AJ Price to start the game. He has struggled the last three games and it seems like his conditioning is too blame. He did miss the past two seasons with troubles from his brain injury and his own legal troubles. This loss will definitely knock UCONN from the National polls. Next up for the Huskies is St. Johns at MSG at 9:30 on Saturday night. The game will be televised locally on CW20.

Technorati: UCONN Huskies, Jim Calhoun, Marquette Golden Eagles

Here’s a little something I came across over at Ramblings From The Runway, written by Chip Malafronte who writes for the New Haven Register. The 2007 UCONN football schedule is pretty much set as far as the teams they will play but nothing official as far as dates or times. It seems as though Navy dropped UCONN from their football schedule. No reason as to why Navy did this. So let’s take a look at what we know for the schedule next year:

• September 1st at Duke. Duke was 0-12 last season.
• September 8th vs Maine. Maine was 6-5 last season and plays in Division 1-AA.
• September 15th vs Temple. Temple was 0-11 last season.
• September 22nd at Virginia. Virginia was 5-7 last season. This game seems to me like it will be UCONN’s first test of the season.
• Akron replaced the Navy game on the schedule for next year. The game was to be played on November 10th. Akron was 5-7 last season.
• The Big East games at home for next season will be South Florida, Rutgers, Syracuse, and Louisville. The Big East road games will be West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

Right now, I can see UCONN going 4-0 thru the first 4 games. That would mean that the Huskies would have to go 2-5 in the Big East schedule to be bowl eligible. Without knowing who will be quarterbacking the Huskies this season, this does seem like a possibility. Every team in the Big East will be good as evidenced by the Big East’s 5-0 record in bowl games. This doesn’t include the Akron Zips game. So will 2007 be the year the Huskies play in another bowl game? Only time will tell.

Technorati: UCONN Huskies, New Haven Register

vs Marquette at Gampel Pavilion at 7 PM. The game will be broadcast locally on FOX 61.

Mel Thomas led four UCONN Lady Huskies in double figures to an 106-58 victory over the Seton Hall Lady Pirates. Thomas finished with 23 points, while Tina Charles had 20 points, Charde Houston 19 points, and Renee Montgomery had 17 points.

There wasn’t much doubt to the outcome of this game as the Lady Huskies came out firing on all cylinders. After basically being singled out by Coach Geno Auriemma, the backcourt duo of Renee Montgomery and Mel Thomas responded with a combined 40 pts, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists, 8 by Montgomery. Charde Houston kept her game going from the last one as well. Tina Charles also responded to the criticism she received. For the Huskies to make a run deep into the tournament this year, they are gonna need this type of play no matter who the opponent is.

Notes and Observations:

• The starters were Montgomery, Thomas, Greene, McLaren, and Houston.
• 4 Huskies were in double figures at the half. Charles was 7 for 7 had 14 points, Houston 13 pts, Montgomery 10 pts, and Thomas 10 pts.
• UCONN scored 58 points in the 1st half after scoring 64 in the loss against Tennessee on Saturday.
• Brittany Hunter missed her 4th game in the past 5 because of her right knee troubles.
• Mel Thomas moved into 10th place all time in 3 point shots made with 136 in her career. Her 23 pts were her Big East career high and just 2 from her career high of 25 points.
• Tina Charles also had 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the year. That is also the team high on the season.
• Ketia Swanier had a team high 9 assists in the game.
• This was the Lady Huskies first 100 pt game since November 2004 vs Buffalo.
• UCONN had 28 assists on 41 baskets.
• UCONN’s free throw shooting still sucks. They were 14 of 23 (61%) from the line. This is below their season average of 64%.
• For those of you who don’t know, UCONN reserve forward/center Cassie Kerns does an online diary for her newspaper back home in Valparaiso, IN. To see her last entry, click here.

UCONN returns to action on Saturday against Syracuse at 2 PM at Gampel Pavilion. If you are attending the game, the fans are asked to wear white as the game has been designated a “White-out” game. The game will also be televised locally on CPTV.

Technorati: UCONN Huskies, Mel Thomas, Geno Auriemma, Seton Hall Pirates

Matt Scherer, the UCONN Hockey Captain, won $25,000 in his appearance today on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”. The question that Scherer got wrong was this one:

“The Guinness Book of World Records measures the world’s fastest talkers based on how quickly they recite what? A) Twas The Night Before Christmas, B) “To be or not to be” soliloquy, C) The Gettysburg Address, D) The House That Jack Built.”

Scherer guessed C but the correct answer was B. Having made the magic mark of finishing with no worse than $25,000 dollars, his incorrect guess only cost him a shot at the million. Not bad for a kid in college. Congrats Matt and good luck the rest of the way this hockey season.

According to the Japan Times Online, Daisuke Matsuzaka already has a few endorsement deals under his belt. Back in late December, I had posted an article that was named “First Picture of Matsuzaka in a Sox Uniform“.

Well it turns out that the ad he was filming when that picture was taken will be a Matsuzaka vs Hideki Matsui television commercial for Ashai Super Dry Beer that will start running in April.

They are also reporting that Matsuzaka will star in Dunkin Donuts ads worldwide. This one seems odd to me as there aren’t any Dunkin Donuts in Japan anymore. Makes me wonder if they are rethinking their decision to pull out of Japan 10 years ago.

Also noted in the column was this:

One of the sports papers, by the way, has already mentioned the possibility of the Red Sox opening the 2008 official American League season in Japan, but it remains to be seen what MLB will decide to do with respect to the rumored regular-season openers next year at the Olympic Stadium in Beijing.

I had heard this rumor back when the Red Sox had signed Matsuzaka. So it will be interesting to see what happens. Many players who have gone overseas to open the season have not really liked going. But with baseball being a world sport, it is good for the game. To me it seems only fair to play overseas.

One other non Matsuzaka Red Sox note. The Baseball Hall of Fame votes come out at 2 PM today. Let’s hope that one of the Sons of Red Sox Nation, Jim Rice, finally gets the recognition that he so deserves.

Technorati: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox, Baseball Hall of Fame, Jim Rice, Dunkin Donuts, Asahi Super Dry Beer