National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Connecticut 74, Pittsburgh 65
When: 12:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 3, 2012
Where: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, Connecticut
Officials: # Brian O'Connell, # Les Jones, # Mike Roberts
Attendance: 10167

Connecticut 74, Pittsburgh 65: Shabazz Napier scored 23 points, including a game-clinching 3-pointer with just over a minute left, and the Huskies welcomed coach Jim Calhoun back with a victory over the Panthers.

Roscoe Smith added 14 points and seven rebounds for UConn (18-12, 8-10 Big East), which let a 14-point halftime lead slip away, but survived by closing on a 12-4 run.

The Huskies got an emotional lift from the return of Calhoun, who was back on the bench just five days after undergoing back surgery. The Hall of Fame coach received a standing ovation when he walked out to coach his first game since Feb. 1.

Connecticut seemed re-energized by Calhoun's presence and jumped out to a 36-22 halftime lead. But Pittsburgh stormed back with a 14-4 run that tied it at 48 with just over nine minutes left. It was a back-and-forth affair the rest of the way. Travon Woodall’s 3-pointer gave the Panthers their first lead of the game at 61-60 with 2:56 left.

The Huskies responded, though, as Smith’s layup gave UConn the lead again and Napier’s 3-pointer made it 66-61 with 1:14 left.

J.J. Moore scored 16 points for Pittsburgh (16-15, 5-13), which has lost six of seven and will likely miss the NCAA tournament for the first time in 11 years.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Calhoun was his usual animated-self early in the first half when he felt Napier was fouled on a fastbreak. … The 14-point half-time deficit was the largest of the season for Pittsburgh.
Top Game Performances
 
Pittsburgh   Connecticut
J.J. Moore 16 Scoring Shabazz Napier 23
Tray Woodall 5 Assists Shabazz Napier 6
J.J. Moore 6 Rebounds Roscoe Smith 7
Lamar Patterson 2 Free Throws Made Jeremy Lamb 5
J.J. Moore 2 Steals Shabazz Napier 4
Lamar Patterson 1 Blocks Andre Drummond 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Pittsburgh 65 45.8 5-18 6-8 11 29 1 5 14
Connecticut 74 50.9 5-16 13-17 13 27 9 8 9