Nov. 18, 2006
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Jeff Adrien scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead No. 21 Connecticut to a 74-49 win over Fairfield on Saturday night in the Hispanic College Fund Classic.
It was Adrien's third double-double in three games this season for Connecticut (3-0).
Freshman center Hasheem Thabeet added 12 points, seven rebounds and nine blocks.
Thabeet, a 7-foot-3 freshman, scored just five points in the first half, but added seven quick points after intermission as Connecticut pulled away from their in-state rivals.
A.J. Price added 12 points and four assists for the Huskies.
Connecticut jumped out to an early 10-2 lead, but had trouble with Fairfield's 2-3 zone in the first half.
The Stags (0-5) went right at Thabeet with 6-7 freshman forward Greg Nero, who scored all 12 of his points in the first half. The Stags had 20 points in the paint before intermission, and held UConn to just 10.
When Anthony Johnson slammed home an ally-oop over Thabeet's head with 9:05 remaining, UConn coach Jim Calhoun pulled his big man from the game.
When he came back in two minutes later, Thabeet quickly swatted two shots, helping UConn go on an 11-2 run.
But Fairfield answered with eight consecutive points and was down just 34-30, before Connecticut stretched it back out to 41-33 at intermission.
Nero picked up his fourth foul with 16:44 left, when Thabeet blocked him on one end of the floor, then slammed over him at the other. Thabeet made the free throw, giving Connecticut a 52-35 lead. He added a tip-in on the Huskies next possession and Fairfield did not threaten again.
Freshman guard Jerome Dyson, who has averaged 18 points in his first two games for the Huskies, sat out all but one minute before the break with two fouls. He finished the game with just four points.
Marty O'Sullivan had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Stags, who have lost 14 consecutive games to ranked opponents, and 17 in a row to the Huskies.
