UConn holds off Colorado, 74–67, in NCAA tournament first round

The Huskies defeated the Buffaloes in the first round of the NCAA tournament. They will go on to face the winner of No. 1 Kansas and No. 16 Austin Peay on Saturday.
UConn holds off Colorado, 74–67, in NCAA tournament first round
UConn holds off Colorado, 74–67, in NCAA tournament first round /

What happened

After a sluggish first half, No. 9 seed Connecticut came out firing in the second, quickly turning a nine-point deficit into a lead it would not relinquish, ultimately beating No. 8 Colorado, 74–67. to move onto the second round in the NCAA tournament. Three Huskies—junior guard Rodney Purvis (19 points), sophomore guard Daniel Hamilton (17) and senior guard Sterling Gibbs (12)—scored in double figures during the win.

Why it mattered

The Huskies may have been 0.8 seconds away from missing out on the tournament field, but a dramatic three-quarters court buzzer-beater by freshman guard Jalen Adams propelled them to the AAC championship and a No. 9 seed in the Big Dance. There just seems to be something about this program under coach Kevin Ollie once it gets into the NCAAs. Hamilton and Purvis, who combined for 36 points on 13-for-25 shooting, showed that this can be a multi-faceted offense, capable of hanging with the big boys in the field. That will be crucial, given the juggernaut they will likely face in the second round.

What’s next

Unless Austin Peay can pull off the biggest upset in NCAA history, the Huskies will face off with No. 1 overall seed Kansas in the second round on Saturday in a showdown between two of the country’s tournament stalwarts.


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Michael Beller
MICHAEL BELLER

Michael Beller is SI.com's fantasy sports editor and a staff writer covering fantasy, college basketball and MLB. He resides in Chicago and has been with SI.com since 2010.