UConn 72, Boston College 70: Ray Floriani's Tempo-Free Recap

With Hall of Famer and program architect Jim Calhoun on hand, his former UConn team made him proud with 72-70 victory over archrival Boston College in 2K Sports Classic semifinal at Madison Square Garden. (Photo courtesy of Ray Floriani)

NEW YORK CITY - ­UConn outlasted Boston College in a game reminiscent of past battles in the Big East Conference. Entering the game, UConn had a +37 efficiency margin, an outstanding 127 on offense and stubborn 93 defense. BC came in with a 113 efficiency, but the margin was ­just 9, as Steve Donahue’s club gave up 122 on the defensive end.

UConn and Kevin Ollie improved to 5­-0, while BC fell to 1-­4. The game, a 64-possession affair, was a bit slower than Ollie planned. That was largely due to the parade to the foul line. UConn shot 25-of-29 from the line, while BC was 24-of-25. The final efficiency numbers:

UCONN             113

BC                   109

A little higher than the Huskies hope to allow on defense, but no concern to Ollie, who credited BC, and felt his team made defensive plays when  needed.