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No. 9 Connecticut handles Holy Cross

Dec 18, 2011 - 11:30 PM Hartford, CT (Sports Network) - Andre Drummond notched game-highs of 24 points and eight rebounds, leading No. 9 Connecticut to a 77-40 win over Holy Cross on Sunday.

Alex Oriakhi added 15 points, Jeremy Lamb chipped in 10 and Shabazz Napier handed out 13 assists for the Huskies (9-1), winners of four straight.

R.J. Evans led the way for the Crusaders (4-7) with 15 points.

"Every time we didn't make our offense run right, they made us pay," said Crusaders coach Milan Brown. "Every time we turned it over, they scored. That's what happens when you play someone with that level of talent."

The Crusaders held a 13-12 lead following Devin Brown's trey with 12:11 left in the first half. It would be their last.

Napier tied the game with a free throw on the Huskies' next possession and Lamb's dunk put UConn on top, 15-13.

The advantage reached double-digits on Oriakhi's layup with 4 1/2 minutes left and the Huskies closed strong, taking a 43-24 into the break.

Drummond set the tone over the opening 20 minutes, totaling 10 points on 4- of-5 shooting to go with four rebounds and a pair of blocks. Oriakhi and Lamb both added eight points, as Connecticut shot 50 percent from the field, compared to just 37 percent for Holy Cross.

The Huskies' carried the momentum into the second half, outscoring the Crusaders 34-16 to record the emphatic victory.

"We really, really got on them after that first 10 minutes," said Huskies coach Jim Calhoun. "We took it from an even game to plus 19 at halftime. And we came out of the locker room and just flew. I was really happy to see that."

In all, Connecticut limited Holy Cross to just 26.2 percent shooting, forced 17 turnovers and held a 45-38 advantage on the glass.

Game Notes

This was the 64th meeting between the teams. Holy Cross holds a 42-22 advantage, although Connecticut has won three straight and eight of 11 in the overall series...The Huskies went just 2-for-12 from beyond the arc. .