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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- It wasn't quite one of those team
meetings that usually turn things around after some emotions are
bared. After all, it was just two guys. But it worked.
Connecticut point guard Khalid El-Amin called a meeting with
backcourtmate Albert Mouring, and it's been what the Huskies (No. 4 ESPN/USA Today, No. 5 AP) have been looking for.
|  | | Connecticut's Khalid El-Amin plays tight defense against Texas' Ivan Wagner. |
"The day before the Pittsburgh game I told Albert I wanted to
talk to him," El-Amin said of last Saturday's road victory. "I
told him there was no way we could do it without him. We needed him
to shoot so people couldn't play a box-and-1 on me or a zone
against us. He's too good a shooter for that."
Since the talk, Mouring has gone 9-for-11 from 3-point range, and that included making his first five against No. 15 Texas on Monday
night in a 77-67 victory.
The Huskies (12-2) had won 11 straight games until losing to
Notre Dame, which played almost all zone, last week. Mouring's
shooting seemed to relax the Huskies in the first game in the
Hartford Civic Center since then and helped them to a 56-39 lead
with 12:35 to play.
"That was the second terrific game for Albert Mouring,"
Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said, referring to his career-high 22
against Pittsburgh and 21 against Texas. "He's starting to feel
more confidence in himself. The past six or seven games he's been
very consistent for us."
Calhoun also credited Mouring's ball-handling.
"He did more than just make points," Calhoun said. "He took
some pressure off (El-Amin)."
Mouring's fifth 3 in as many attempts gave the Huskies their
biggest lead in the very physical game that featured a lot of
whistles and little action and it seemed they would coast to the
win.
But the Longhorns (9-4) went on a 15-3 run as Connecticut scored once in 11 possessions and were within 59-54 with 4:46 left on two free throws by Ivan Wagner.
That's when El-Amin, who led Connecticut to the national
championship last season, took over and was responsible for scores
on the next three possessions.
He found freshman Tony Robertson on the break for a layup that made it 61-54. After Chris Mihm scored for Texas, El-Amin and
Connecticut center Jake Voskuhl worked a nice screen-and-roll play
that saw the big man dunk for a 63-56 lead.
Texas again answered on a hook shot by Mihm, but El-Amin
extended the lead by working the same screen-and-roll with Voskuhl,
only this time the guard didn't pass to the center and instead
nailed a 3-pointer for a 66-58 lead with 3:01 to play.
"Khalid was terrific," Calhoun said. "That's what he does for
us. Teams can't play him straight up or they get hurt."
The Longhorns got within 71-67 on a 3-pointer by Wagner with 25 seconds left but Mouring and Edmund Saunders each made two free
throws and Saunders scored on a layup after a steal by El-Amin for
the final margin.
El-Amin had 14 points and eight assists. Voskuhl had nine points and 11 rebounds in his matchup with Mihm, which drew 22 NBA scouts.
The Huskies finished with 10 blocked shots and also got some
solid minutes from reserve center Souleymane Wane.
"I think we couldn't do this last year," Calhoun said. "We
wouldn't block 10 shots on you, against anybody. Two centers had 17
rebounds between them tonight. Souleymane's a much improved player.
Jake's improved."
Mihm finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, scoring eight
points over the final six minutes. Gabe Muoneke and Darren Kelly
each added 12 points for Texas.
"It was frustrating. I couldn't even see the other guy coming
and by the time I got into my shot, he was right there," Mihm said
of Connecticut's inside defense. "Jake did a great job of really
fighting me out there and making it hard to get the ball. I
couldn't get into an offensive groove."
Texas, which shot 33 percent (24-for-72), really hurt itself at
the free throw line, going 13-for-25 as it had a three-game winning
streak snapped.
"They made some great defensive plays. I don't think there's
anything wrong with getting your shots blocked. The difference was
when they had to make the 3s they made them," Texas coach Rick
Barnes said. "You dig yourself a hole when you miss free throws
and it puts a lot of pressure on your offense."
Connecticut shot 44 percent (24-for-54) and led by Mouring's
5-for-6, went 6-for-10 from 3-point range.
Barnes and Calhoun went against each other 14 times when Barnes was coaching at Providence and those games were known for their physical style and emphasis on defense.
"A couple of times I thought I looked up and saw Michael Smith and Dickey Simpkins and those guys," Calhoun said, referring to
the former Providence rebounding specialists. "It seemed like an
old Big East battle for sure."
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ALSO SEE
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Khalid El-Amin dishes the rock to Ajou Ajou Deng.
avi: 857 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Jake Voskuhl drives baseline for the layup.
avi: 680 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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