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    UConn Men's Basketball
    Thursday, April 25, 2024

    UConn faces old friends Moore, Burrell tonight

    There will be a UConn basketball family reunion of sorts tonight in the semifinals of the Paradise Jam.

    No. 23 UConn (3-0) faces Quinnipiac (2-1), which is coached by former UConn assistant Tom Moore, at 9 p.m. (CBS Sports Network) at the University of Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas.

    Quinnipiac assistant Scott Burrell is a former teammate of UConn coach Kevin Ollie.

    And retired Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun will be there to watch from the sidelines.

    The winner will advance to Monday night's title game. George Mason and New Mexico meet in the other semifinal tonight.

    UConn is coming off a hard-earned 77-71 win over Wake Forest on Friday. The Huskies draw energy and offensive firepower from the backcourt of junior Shabazz Napier and sophomore Ryan Boatright, who lead the team in scoring at 18 and 12.7 points, respectively.

    Napier will be playing against good friend and former AAU teammate, junior forward Ike Azotam, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 98-92 overtime win over Iona in Friday's Paradise Jam opener. Azotam averages team highs in points (16.3) and rebounds (9.3).

    Quinnipiac overcame 24 turnovers and had five players in double figures against Iona.

    The Bobcats have outrebounded all three opponents this season while the Huskies have lost the battle of the boards in all three games. Quinnipiac also has defeated Hartford (65-61) and lost to American University (61-55).

    The Huskies own a 67-game winning streak against in-state teams. They've won all nine games against Quinnipiac. Moore lost his only previous meeting against UConn, 82-49, in Hartford in 2007.

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