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Tristen Newton scores 22 and No. 1 UConn routs Xavier 99-56 for its eighth straight win
Donovan Clingan added 18 points for the Huskies.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Tristen Newton scored 22 points and top-ranked UConn won its eighth straight game, rolling over Xavier 99-56 on Sunday.
Donovan Clingan added 18 points for the Huskies (18-2, 8-1 Big East) in his third game back from a December foot injury. The 7-foot-2 sophomore also had eight rebounds and two blocks as he returned to the starting lineup.
Stephon Castle and Solomon Ball each added 12 points for UConn, which has not lost at home in more than a calendar year. It was UConn’s largest margin of victory in a Big East game since beating Cincinnati 96-51 on March 9, 2008.
Dayvion McKnight had 18 points and Quincy Olivari added 14 for Xavier (10-10, 4-5), which had won three of its previous four games, but falls to 1-5 on the road this season.
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This one was over early.
Alex Karaban opened the game with a layup and the Huskies scored the game’s first 10 points, holding Xavier without a point for the first four minutes.
Ball’s 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer and a lob dunk from Newton to Castle highlighted a 20-0 UConn run that made it 38-7 and gave UConn control of the game.
UConn led 48-22 at the half.
The Huskies made 17 of their 29 shots (59%) from behind the arc. The 17 three-pointers tied a program record set last season against Oregon on Nov. 24, 2022.
BIG PICTURE
Xavier: The Musketeers handed the Huskies their most recent home loss, beating UConn 82-79 last January. Xavier came in having won four of its past seven meetings with No. 1 teams, but was never in this one.
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UConn: The Huskies honored their 2004 national championship team at halftime and wore their throwback jerseys during the contest. Former NBA players Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva were among those in attendance, along with 81-year-old Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun.
“I wasn’t just trying to build a team,” Calhoun said. “I was trying to build a program, something that would last. And it has. Things have worked out pretty well for us.”
UP NEXT
Xavier: The Musketeers head home to Ohio to host St. John’s on Wednesday.
UConn: The Huskies host rival Providence on Wednesday.
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