COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL ROUNDUP : Connecticut Pulls Away in Second Half

Connecticut, leading by only three points at halftime, pulled away from Maine at the start of the second half and defeated the Black Bears, 85-60, at Bangor, Maine.

The 14th-ranked Huskies got two baskets by Chris Smith that started a 24-12 run after the first half ended with the score 33-30.

“We started saying ‘we’ as opposed to ‘I,’ ” Husky Coach Jim Calhoun said. “That’s ‘we’ as in ‘we should pass’ as opposed to ‘I should shoot.’ Six of our first eight (baskets) in the second half were assisted.

“We’re so much more fragile than we were last year. We have to play as hard against Maine as we do against North Carolina.”

Smith scored 20 points for the Big East defending champion Huskies (4-1), and Scott Burrell added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Senior John Gwynn came off the bench and scored 12 points.

Maine Coch Rudy Keeling said, “I thought in the first half we really competed. In the second half, their athleticism wore us down. They were able to pick it up a notch.”

Calhoun said he made some adjustments in the second half, including trying to keep the ball away from Maine’s guards.

“We let them throw the ball back to their big guys,” he said. “We wanted their big guys to bring the ball up and keep it away form the kids who could handle the ball. It wasn’t a major adjustment, but it worked pretty well.”

The Huskies used the full-court press to force 18 of Maine’s 24 turnovers in the final 20 minutes.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

OTHER GAMES

Michael Polite had 24 points and 17 rebounds to lead Florida State over previously unbeaten La Salle, 83-74, at Tallahassee, Fla. The Seminoles (3-1) took a 12-1 lead to open the game and opened a 20-point spread on two occasions early in the second half, but the Explorers (3-1) had a 19-2 run that brought them came within 62-59 with 9:14 to play. Junior guard Derrick Myers made seven of eight free throws in the final 6:18 as Florida State pulled away down the stretch.

Reggie Slater and Maurice Alexander each scored 19 points to lead Wyoming to a 75-67 victory over Montana at Missoula, Mont. In a 51-point second half, Alexander had 15 points and Slater 12.

Erik Harris scored the last of his 22 points by making a 12-foot jump shot with six seconds remaining to give Navy an 83-81 victory over Hofstra at Hemptstead, N.Y. Eddie Reddick added 15 points for the Middies (3-4), who trailed 37-36 at halftime. Bobby Gordon led Hofstra (2-4) with 16 points.

Curtis Blair scored 23 points to lead Richmond (4-1) to a 68-60 victory over Fairfield (4-2) at Fairfield, Conn.