Tampa, Fla. - Once lost in a deep, dark hole, Omar Calhoun has fought his way out in recent weeks.

Calhoun is back in the spotlight after experiencing a freefall between his freshman and junior year while battling injuries and a brutal slump.

He's in a happier, healthier and more productive place, resembling the player that earned All-Big East rookie team honors.

Just ask Florida.

UConn never would have pulled off a vital 63-59 victory on Saturday without Calhoun's contribution off the bench. He scored 12 points - his highest scoring output in just over a year - and helped fuel a second-half comeback from a 13-point deficit.

"If he didn't make those big-time shots and get defensive stops, I don't know where we'd be at," coach Kevin Ollie said Saturday.

The non-conference win kicked off a two-game road trip that continues Tuesday in Tampa against South Florida, an American Athletic Conference opponent.

Calhoun, a guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., has emerged as another offensive option, taking some pressure off senior Ryan Boatright. In the last three games, he's averaged 10 points and 3.3 rebounds while converting 12 of 22 field goals (54.5 percent), including 4 of 10 from 3-point range.

He's looked like a completely different player from last season when he fell into a deep funk starting in January. Slow to recover from offseason hip surgery, he lost his starting position and then a spot in the rotation.

After averaging 8.5 points in the first 12 games, he scored just 20 points the rest of the season and hit just one of his last 21 field goal attempts. He finished at 3.8 points, down significantly from 11.1 points as a freshman.

During the preseason, he suffered another setback, spraining his knee. He missed the first eight games before making season debut against Duke on Dec. 18.

The support of his teammates and coaching staff helped him fight through all the adversity.

"It was definitely tough, but I'm a strong individual," Calhoun said. "I talked to coach (Ollie) all the time and he said just keep working through it and he's got my back."

Ollie rewarded Calhoun for his effort by increasing the junior guard's playing time and relying on him during important stretches.

When Rodney Purvis got off to a slow start on Saturday, Ollie turned to Calhoun, who supplied a game-saving lift early in the second half.

Calhoun beat the shot clock with a huge 3-pointer from the corner with UConn down 13. Next, he dribbled by a charging defender and hit a pull-up jumper and later added another three.

"Omar Calhoun was huge for us," Boatright said. "He hit some threes and some shots that kept us in the game and kept us in fighting range."

Calhoun's confidence is growing with every positive step. He's still not fully healthy yet.

"I'm getting more comfortable on the floor and just able to show my whole all-around game...," Calhoun said. "I'm just staying positive. … I was battling through a lot last year with the hip surgery. Now I'm close to where I was before it happened.

"I'm continuing to get stronger. … That's what you're seeing on the court now."

News and notes

UConn practiced at Tampa Prep on Sunday. As expected, Boatright sat out, opting for a rest and recovery day after playing 39 minutes with a bruised left thigh against Florida. … South Florida (7-8, 1-1) beat East Carolina, 58-50, at the Sun Dome on Saturday. The Bulls are coached by Orlando Antigua, a former Pittsburgh star.

Antigua encouraged the USF students to show up to support the Bulls on Tuesday. "The students will be back on campus and we'll need them," Antigua told the Tampa Tribune. "We need to bring some energy, some fight and see where the chips (fall)."

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe