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STORRS, Conn. — No. 4 UConn broke out of its conference doldrums Tuesday night with an 85-56 rout of DePaul.
Cam Spencer scored 20 points and Alex Karaban added 17 for the Huskies (12-2, 2-1 Big East). Hassan Diarra scored a season-high 14 and freshman Stephon Castle had 14 points and seven assists.
UConn shot 58.2% from the field and made 12 of 26 behind the 3-point arc (46.2%). Spencer was 4 of 7 from 3-point range.
“I think the (holiday) break helped us just reflect on what we needed to do individually and as a team,” Karaban said.
Da’Sean Nelson scored 19 points and Elijah Fisher had 17 for DePaul (3-10, 0-2). It was the Huskies’ 17th straight win over the Blue Demons.
UConn struggled in its first two conference games this season, a 15-point loss at Seton Hall and a four-point comeback win over St. John’s at home Dec. 23.
“Some guys, just, they heat up after Christmas,” coach Dan Hurley said. “I just think you have players who find their rhythm as the year goes by.”
The defending national champions started slowly in this one as well with four early turnovers. They didn’t score until a layup by Castle more than four minutes into the game.
Chicago Tribune Sports
A layup by Jaden Henley gave the Blue Demons an 11-10 lead midway through the first half. But UConn went on a 16-2 run, including a highlight-reel dunk from Castle on a long lob pass from Diarra.
The Huskies held DePaul to eight first-half baskets. A layup from Karaban capped a 9-1 spurt that sent UConn into halftime up 38-19.
“We took a couple bad shots, they got some transition baskets, we turned it over a couple times and they made us pay for it,” DePaul coach Tony Stubblefield said. “They are a very talented, well-coached team, and when you make mistakes they can make you pay for it very quickly.”
UConn held DePaul to 35.7% shooting (20 of 56), and the Blue Demons went just 2 of 13 from 3-point range. The Huskies also outrebounded DePaul 35-26. Hurley said that end of the floor has been an emphasis in recent practices.
“Our defense has got to take a major step up from here on out or else we will not be contenders in anything, we’ll be pretenders,” he said.
Up next
DePaul: The Blue Demons visit Georgetown on Saturday.
UConn: The Huskies travel to Indianapolis to face Butler on Friday.