UConn-Louisville Live Blog

Welcome to the first UConn Live Blog on outtathepahk. The UConn men are back to No. 1 and are looking for their 10th straight victory. No. 7 Louisville, with its withering pressure, is 9-0 in the conference and have also won nine straight.

Dick Vitale is in the Hall. A great way to start a world without football...

SECOND HALF

UConn 68-51, FINAL: Another dominant performance, and another big-time win on the road. And to think the Huskies didn't hit a three all night.

UConn 64-49, 4:15: Louisville still has not been able to establish a sustained response. They can't buy a basket. UConn bleeding the clock away with Dyson and Thabeet, who has another double-double with 14 and 10 and 4 blocks. Terrence Williams has a career-high 26, but he's been a one-man show tonight.

UConn 47-31, 14:42: Thabeet. Thabeet. Thabeet. Total domination at both ends. Blocked shot, buzzer-beating wing jumper, blocked shot. Louisville's offense is in sleep mode. So is the crowd at Freedom Hall.

FIRST HALF

UConn 38-26, Halftime: UConn ends the half with a 15-2 run over the final six minutes. Louisville cannot get anything going in the halfcourt, and without the press to break, the Huskies are dominating inside, with Adrien scoring 15 points snd 5 rebounds. UConn is bigger and better right now.

UConn 28-26, 3:48: Both defenses are living up to their billing so far. Louisville is making UConn look very shaky on the perimeter when they're able to pressure, but because UConn has shut down the Louisville offense in the halfcourt, owning the paint, the Cardinals can't get into their press often enough to make it pay off.

UConn 28-24, 5:34: Jeff Adrien is starting to dominate this game, following up with a cleanup rebound on a fastbreak for a 3-point play. He has 11 points.

Louisville, 22-21: 6:48: And back and forth we go. Louisville is finally putting offense at the end of its swarming defense and Williams continues to be a force. But the fouls are starting to mount for Louisville. Austrie draws No. 2 on Samuels.

UConn 17-14, 10:55: UConn on an 8-0 run to re-take the lead. The Huskies are starting to get their transition game in gear and have turned up their own defense a notch. Even when the press has forced a UConn turnover, the Huskies have bottled up the Louisville break and forced turnovers and outside shots that aren't falling.

Louisville 14-11, 14:24: UConn looks a little wobbly against the full-court press on a pair of trips up the floor, but the second high-wire act, with three near turnovers, ends with another Adrien basket. The pace is picking up considerably now. 30 NBA scouts on hand per ESPN. Big time stuff tonight.

UConn 5-4: 17:29: Pitino leaves Williams in with two fouls, and Williams hits a three. But this is dangerous territory for Williams.

Louisville 4-2, 17:32 left: Louisville is expected to press the Huskies extensively, but not yet. The Cards drop into a zone on it's second defensive possession. UConn misses a long three, but exploits their inside advantage with an offensive rebound and foul againsat Adrien. At the other end, Stanley Robinson has two fouls in two minutes, as Terrence Williams is dominating.