HARTFORD, Conn.— UConn turned up the defensive pressure on Maine Sunday and turned a close game into a rout.
Freshman James Bouknight, playing at home for the first time, scored 15 points and UConn forced 28 turnovers in Sunday’s 64-40 win.
Alterique Gilbert added 13 points and Tyler Polley had 12 for the Huskies (5-2), who were playing in Connecticut for the first time in two weeks.
Andrew Fleming led all scorers with 16 points for Maine (2-5), which shot 35 percent from the floor and made just six baskets in the second half.
“We were active for the most part on the defensive end, which created some turnovers and got us going a little bit offensively,” said Gilbert.
UConn led by seven points at halftime, but forced 10 turnovers during 17-2 run that turned a 35-30 lead into a 52-32 advantage with 11 minutes to play.
The Huskies scored 28 points off Maine giveaways, and Maine could manage just six points off UConn’s eight turnovers.
Maine was playing without point guard Sergio El Darwich, who rolled his ankle on Wednesday in a loss to Virginia.
“UConn came out and really got in our shorts today and really made it tough on us,” said UMaine Coach Richard Barron. “I think it showed we were missing our point guard today. They took advantage of that and they should. There’s no pity in this game.”
It was the first chance for UConn fans to get a look at Booknight, who was suspended for the Huskies’ first three games this season. The freshman had just four points in the first half, but played better after intermission He brought the crowd to its feet late in the game when he followed up his own missed jumper in the lane with a dunk.
BABSON 76, BOWDOIN 66: Jack Coolahan’s game-high 19 points, and an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double from Andrew Jaworski pushed the Beavers (6-0) over the Polar Bears (3-3) at Brunswick.
Crew Ainge had 16 points and seven rebounds for Babson on 9 of 10 from the free-throw line.
David Reynolds scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds for Bowdoin, and Zavier Rucker also scored 15 points and had three assists.
COLBY 106, KEAN 102: Sam Jefferson and Matt Hanna combined for 61 points as the Mules (7-0) topped the Cougars (1-5) at Union, New Jersey.
Jefferson went 10 for 10 from the free-throw line and finished with 31 points, and Hanna had 30 on 7 for 12 on 3-pointers. Alex Dorion had 19 points in 27 minutes off the bench for Colby.
Jailen Jamison and Jeff Cooper each had 21 points for Kean, with Jamison adding eight rebounds and six assists.
SOUTHERN MAINE 98, ST. JOSEPH’S 91: Jacobe Thomas scored 38 points as the Huskies (4-3) topped the Monks (1-4) at Standish.
DJ Anderson was USM’s second-leading scorer with 17. Derek Haney chipped in with 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals off the bench.
St. Joseph’s Jack Casale posted a 33-point, 10-rebound double-double. David Keohan scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds and had five assists. Griffin Foley added 18 points and six assists.
(5) MARYLAND 84, MARQUETTE 63: Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 22 points and backcourt mate Darryl Morsell helped the Terrapins (8-0) beat the Golden Eagles (5-2) ) in the championship game of the Orlando Invitational at Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
DAYTON 78, MAINE 49: The Black Bears (2-6) got a career-high 14 points from Maeve Carroll as they dropped the finale of the Gulf Coast Showcase to the Flyers (4-5) at Estero, Fla.
Dor Saar joined Carroll as a double-digit scorer with 13. The Black Bears shot 19-52 (37 percent) from the floor.
Erin Whalen led both teams with 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Julia Chandler added 11 points on 5 for 7 from the floor.
ST. JOSEPH’S 67, SOUTHERN MAINE 65: Late free throws from Julia Quinn and Lexi L’Heureux-Carland helped the Monks (4-2) hold off the Huskies (4-4) at Standish.
Jackie Luckhardt had 18 points and 10 rebounds for USM. Victoria Harris added 14 points and seven rebounds.
St. Joseph’s led by double digits for the majority of the game behind an 18-point outing from Kaleigh Walsh. L’Heureux-Carland pitched in with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double.
(11) UCLA 73, VIRGINIA 62: Michaela Onyenwere had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Lauryn Miller also had a double-double and the Bruins (7-0) beat the host Cavaliers (4-4) in the Cavalier Classic.
(12) N.C. STATE 76, NORTH TEXAS 65: Elissa Cunane scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds and the Wolfpack (8-0) topped the Lsdy Eagles (3-4) in a Rainbow Wahine Showdown contest st Honolulu.
(14) KENTUCKY 81, AUSTIN PEAY 52: Rhyne Howard led a balanced attack with 14 points and the Wildcats (7-0) cruised to a win at home over the Governors (6-1).
MEN’S HOCKEY
BOWDOIN 2, MASS.-BOSTON 1: Ethan Kimball scored with 57 seconds remaining as the Polar Bears (3-3) edged the Beacons (4-4 ) in the Colby-Bowdoin Faceoff Classic at Brunswick.
Ronnie Lestan assisted on Kimball’s winner. Andy Stoneman scored Bowdoin’s first goal 1:05 into regulation. Goaltender Alex Zafonte turned away 31 shots.
Chris Peters tied it for UMass.-Boston short-handed in the third period. Bailey MacBurnie made 26 saves for the Beacons.
COLBY 6, ALBERTUS MAGNUS 3: Carter Breitenfeldt’s hat trick powered the Mules (3-3-0) to a win over the Falcons (0-7-2) in the Bowdoin-Colby Faceoff Classic at Bowdoin College at Brunswick.
Justin Grillo added a pair of goals for Colby, which also got a goal from Brendan Murphy. Andrew Tucci made 24 saves.
Cameron Weitzman, Owen Allan and Joseph Onorato scored for Albertus Magnus. Pierce Diamond made 22 saves in 39:48, and Hunter Virostek made six in 20:00.
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