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Walker, UConn roll over Harvard

Dec 23, 2010 - 5:16 AM Hartford, CT (Sports Network) - Don't look now, but another Connecticut basketball team has a win streak going.

OK, so it's nothing approaching the record 89-game streak of the women's team, but the Connecticut men won their 10th straight game Wednesday with an 81-52 rout of Harvard.

Kemba Walker scored 20 points as the No. 4 Huskies (10-0) posted their seventh double-digit win of the season. Jeremy Lamb added 11 points in the victory and Alex Oriakhi scored 10 with nine rebounds.

"I didn't know if I was going to get a Christmas present or coal under the Christmas tree. I got a Christmas present," said Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun, whose team begins Big East play at Pittsburgh on December 27.

Showing a little rust in its first game in 11 days, Harvard (7-3) got 18 points from Keith Wright and 12 from Laurent Rivard but shot just 30 percent from the field.

"Give them all the credit in the world," Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker said of the Huskies. "I think they're tremendous."

The Huskies scored the first 11 points of the game and shot 55 percent in the first half, building a 48-21 lead by intermission behind five players who scored seven points or more.

Walker and Shabazz Napier had nine apiece in the opening 20 minutes to lead the way.

"We've got to get ready for Big East play. We've got to go out there and give it our all," said Napier, who ended with nine points. "When we play against Pittsburgh and other Big East schools it's going to be tough."

Against overmatched Harvard, on the other hand, Connecticut's lead reached 20 for the first time when Oriakhi's free throws made it 26-6 with 7:40 remaining in the opening half.

It didn't dip below 20 until nearly nine minutes were gone in the second half, when two Oliver McNally foul shots pulled the Crimson within 19 at 61-42.

Harvard never got closer than that, however, in a second half that was competitive but never threatening to Connecticut's lead.

Game Notes

Harvard shot 23 percent in the first half and 37 percent in the second...The Huskies shot 50 percent in the second half and 53 percent for the game...Connecticut leads the all-time series 14-2. The schools have now played in back-to-back seasons after not meeting each other since 1988-89...Harvard had a two-game winning streak snapped.