Huskies Pull Out 80-76 Win at Tulane

Senior guard Christian Vital poured in a game-high 28 points to
lead UConn to an 80-76 victory over Tulane. It was the Huskies’
eighth victory in their last 10 games.

NEW ORLEANS—Christian Vital scored 28 points and Isaiah Whaley chipped in with a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) to lead UConn over Tulane, 80-76, at Devlin Fieldhouse on Sunday. It was the final regular-season game for both teams—who will meet again in the first round of the American Athletic Conference tournament, which starts Thursday in Fort Worth, Tex. Brendan Adams scored 12 points, while Josh Carlton Alterique
Gilbert and Whaley each added 10 points for the Huskies. Of Whaley’s 10 boards, six came off the offensive glass.

Christion Thompson led Tulane with 21 points, while Hightower scored 14 and Jordan Walker and Kevin Zhang chipped in with 12 points apiece.

The Green Wave led 41-39 at halftime. Eighteen seconds into the second half, Whaley converted a three-point play and the Huskies never looked back after that. Vital and Teshaun Hightower each made a pair of foul shots with 25 and 16 seconds left respectively, and Adams made 1 of 2 with 15 seconds remaining in regulation to give Connecticut its final margin of victory.

The Huskies, who have made a late-season surge, winning eight of their last 10 games, are now 19-12 overall (10-8 in the ACC), and are seeded fifth in the tournament. Tulane (12-18, 4-14) is the tourney’s No. 12 sees.

—Staff Reports

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