Boston College Athletics
Eagles Lose to No. 2 Connecticut, 66-50
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
February 10, 1999
By DONNA TOMMELLEO
Associated Press Writer
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - No. 2 Connecticut had the size, speed and experience over a very young Boston College team and needed all three to wear down the feisty Eagles.
UConn's sloppy 66-50 victory Wednesday night was the Huskies' 21st straight over the Eagles.
"We'll take the win, but we certainly didn't like the way we played," Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. "Frankly, I thought (BC) outplayed us."
UConn's trademark transition game, bogged down by bad passes and missed layups, never really got going.
Eagles coach Al Skinner said his team, which has nine freshmen and sophomores and no seniors, had worked on denying the Huskies the transition layups.
"That was a really important focal point for us," Skinner said. "We had the game at the pace that we needed in order to compete."
While the Eagles may have outhustled the Huskies, both teams had trouble finding the basket early.
Ice cold shooting that began in the first half for both teams, never really warmed up. UConn shot 40 percent (23-of-58), while the Eagles shot 36 percent (21-of-56).
The Huskies (21-1, 12-1 Big East) made up the difference on the foul line, hitting 17 of 28. Boston College (6-15, 3-10) didn't get to the line often and was just 2-of-6. UConn also outrebounded Boston College 49-29, with Kevin Freeman leading the way with 10.
Khalid El-Amin led UConn with 19 points, getting 14 in the second half. Reserve Edmund Saunders finished with 14.
The game marked the return of UConn's leading scorer Richard Hamilton, who sat out the last two games with a deep thigh bruise. A rusty Hamilton was 4-of-15 from the field, getting all of his nine points in the first half.
"A lot of time we were getting out of our offense. We really weren't in synch and they took advantage of it," said Hamilton, who was averaging 22.1 points a game.
The Eagles, meanwhile, will be without sophomore Kenny Harley for their next game. The 6-foot-5 guard was ejected in the first half for throwing a punch at Hamilton and according to NCAA rules must sit out the next game.
The Eagles opened the game with a basket by Brian Ross 53 seconds in. El-Amin tied it with two at 18:35 and then both teams went ice cold for the next 2 1/2 minutes. The Huskies missed their next five shots until a layup by Jake Voskuhl put the Huskies back on top.
The Eagles missed seven straight before Harley made two free throws to tie it. UConn regained the lead for good on a leaner by Hamilton at 14:00 that keyed a 15-7 run. Boston College pulled within three on a 3-pointer by Ross with 2:24 left to make it 28-22. Rashamel Jones had three points in a 5-0 run to give the Huskies a 33-25 halftime.
UConn led by as many as 17 points in the second half.
Harley was ejected for throwing the punch with just under eight minutes left in the first half. He and Hamilton were tied up after a rebound. Hamilton was called for a foul and as they disentangled Harley threw a punch.
"There was frustration on both sides," Skinner said. "Kenny overreacted."
Ross matched his career-high with 20 points and set a career-high with 10 rebounds.
The Huskies lead the series 47-32, but their latest victory didn't win high marks from their coach.
"We have a chance to win a regular season championship," Calhoun said. "However, tonight we did not look interested in that."
