Shabazz Napier Turns December Top 15 Match-Up Into an Instant Classic

Just let this one sink in.

During the Iron Bowl Saturday night, I was getting rowdy when Auburn was running that missed field goal back, because you just don't see that - especially to end a game that big.  But Monday night, I was banging the table even harder and I'm pretty sure my yell even included a weird voice crack as the result of pure excitement and shock.

The UConn Huskies held a slim lead going into the second half against the Florida Gators in Gampel Pavilion, and the final 20 minutes were a ball fight.  Florida looked like they were trying to slip away, but as time ticked by, UConn slowly chipped away at the lead, keeping the game within one possession for what seemed like ages.

Finally, with 17.7 seconds to go, UConn was inbounding the ball under the Gators basket, with time enough for the last possession of the game.  The rest...well, as you might've guessed, was left up to Shabazz Napier.

And he did not disappoint.

Marquette Battles UConn, Big East Schedule Off to a Bang

UConn trailed by 10 points on two different occasions Tuesday night, but stellar guard play form Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright -- a theme so far for the 10-3 Huskies -- kept them in the game, even taking a three-point lead with under six seconds on the clock.

Napier had a game-high 29 points, including four three-pointers and eight rebounds, really coming to life whenever the game seemed to get away from the Huskies.  While UConn showed a lot of heart and hustle, the game was theirs to win in the final minutes.  Early on, the battle was all Marquette, getting outstanding minutes from their bench players like Davante Gardner, who added 18 points -- going 10-for-10 at the free throw line -- with 6 rebounds.  But even as the game raged on, Marquette had little trouble staying in the thick of it, eventually taking the game 82-76.

UConn is not a team with great size, getting out-rebounded again, 39-29, and 11-5 on the offensive glass.  What they lack in size, they make up for in great speed.  Marquette assistant coach Brad Autry echoed head coach Buzz Williams' (serving a one-game suspension) sentiment that if the Golden Eagles "turned the game into a track meet," they would get run out of the building.

Marquette was able to get a lot of good open looks, passing the ball around well to get inside the three-point arc and ran UConn ragged in the first half.  But UConn played very aggressively, taking big transition three's and other risks that luckily paid off.

Marquette benefited from 41 attempts at the free throw line, sinking 30 of them, while UConn only had 25 chances and hit 17.  Senior guard Junior Cadougan, who played a team-high 35 minutes hit the team's first three pointer on their 17th attempt as time ran out in the second half.  The Golden Eagles outscored the Huskies 13-7 in overtime, giving them their first win in conference play, and evening their overall record with UConn at 10-3.