No. 4 UConn men defeat No. 22 Florida State in overtime

PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS -- As Ryan Boatright watched UConn's 17-point lead against UCF melt away on Friday afternoon, the helplessness he'd felt throughout the early season sunk in a bit deeper.

"There was just nothing I could do about it," he said.

Boatright was on the bench in street clothes, waiting and waiting for the remaining day on his six-game suspension to finally pass by.

Shortly after UConn's collapse officially went down as a loss, Boatright tweeted, "I'm so sick right now." It's a word he used to describe the suspension as a whole. There wasn't a low-point; the duration of the entire thing was just a drag. He said he'd feel "sick" whenever the Huskies put on their jerseys and he kept on his Polo and khakis.

On Saturday, in his first career game, Ryan Boatright had the cure for the Huskies.

The freshman guard rescued UConn from another late-game fiasco (this one wouldn't have been nearly as catastrophic as Friday's) as he delivered three clutch free throws that forced overtime and led UConn to a dramatic 78-76 victory against No. 22 Florida State in the Battle 4 Atlantis consolation game.

With 7.3 seconds remaining in regulation and the Huskies trailing 71-68, Boatright was fouled by Florida State's Jeff Peterson on a 3-pointer from the right wing. He said he "knew he was going to hit the first two," it was the third he was worried about. That one, too, found the bottom of the net.

Afterwards, Calhoun said he's had "very few players ever" (and he emphasized ever) capable of hitting those three in that moment.

"Honestly, I don't think I would have made all three when I was a freshman," said point guard Shabazz Napier, who scored a game-high 26 points and hit six 3-pointers.

As brilliant as Napier was, he missed the front end of a one-and-one when the game was tied, 65-65, with 2:18 remaining. From there, the momentum swung to Florida State. Michael Snaer, who scored a team-high 20 points, sank 5-of-6 free throws in the final two minutes.

UConn's Andre Drummond was dominant around the basket -- he totaled 12 points, 10 boards and seven blocks -- but at crunch time, he looked like a freshman. Drummond went 1-for-4 from the line in the final minute and suffered a detrimental miscommunication with Napier, resulting in a turnover that appeared to have sealed UConn's fate with 19 seconds to go.

The Noles gave UConn life, however, when Okaro White missed a free that could have put Florida State ahead by four.

The Huskies got the ball back trailing 71-68, and Boatright, composed as a senior playing in his 100th game, made the most crucial free throws of the year in his first.

"You almost have to know him, not too many things really, really bother him," Calhoun said.

Boatright scored UConn's first basket in overtime and found Napier with 1:08 remaining for a 3-pointer that would end up being the last basket for either team.

"Boatright came back probably one game too quick," Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton jokingly said. "Wish he could have stayed in Connecticut."

Now, UConn heads back to Storrs with a 2-1 record in the tournament and, as Calhoun said, a signature win over a ranked team. Perhaps most importantly, when another mini-collapse seemed certain -- UConn trailed for only 1:37 in regulation and held a double-digit lead with 11 minutes to play -- the Huskies didn't fold.

"When we started losing the lead again like yesterday, when we got in the huddle, I just told everybody, `We can't let this happen again,'" Boatright said.

As you'd suspect, he's no longer feeling "sick:" A 14-point performance on 4-for-7 shooting -- in a big-time win -- will turn things around.

He's part of the "big picture," Napier said.

"He's a "Diaper Dandy!" Jeremy Lamb exclaimed when Boatright entered the interview room.

"I'm just proud of my kids -- that was a great performance," Calhoun said. "Our two freshmen certainly make UConn feel pretty healthy about itself going forward."

Source: http://www.newstimes.com/uconn/article/No-4-UConn-men-defeat-No-22-Florida-State-in-2293935.php

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