Buffalo, NY (Sportsbooks) - The second-ranked Connecticut Huskies are set to play their first true road game of the season tonight, as the Buffalo Bulls play the role of host team in this non-conference clash.
UConn has opened the season with seven consecutive victories, six of which have come by double figures. On Monday, the Huskies rolled to a 79-49 decision over Delaware State. While Jim Calhoun's team has played its fair share of weak opponents thus far, the club has knocked off the likes of Wisconsin and Miami.
As for Buffalo, it managed to halt a two-game slide last Saturday with an 83-73 home victory over Temple. The Bulls are members of the Mid-American Conference, and they have yet to face an opponent that even approaches UConn's talent level. Clearly, the home team is a massive underdog this evening.
The Huskies own a 6-1 series lead over the Bulls, including an 82-57 romp over Buffalo last season.
UConn is scoring 84.0 ppg this season on 50.3 percent shooting from the floor, and the club is holding the opposition to just 59.9 ppg on 37.6 percent overall shooting. Jerome Dyson leads the Huskies with 16.7 ppg, and he gets plenty of help from a talented collection of teammates. Hasheem Thabeet, the team's center, checks in with 13.6 ppg and 11.7 rpg, and he has blocked 29 shots thus far. Jeff Adrien provides added muscle in the frontcourt, and he is averaging 13.4 ppg and 9.4 rpg. Kemba Walker is providing 13.3 ppg, and Craig Austrie adds 10.7 ppg. In the 30-point romp over Delaware State last time out, Gavin Edwards paced UConn with 17 points off the bench. Dyson pitched in 15 points for the Huskies, who got a 17-rebound effort from Thabeet. Strong defense was once again key for Calhoun's team, as it limited Delaware State to 31.3 percent shooting from the field.
Buffalo is scoring a modest 66.4 ppg this season on 41.4 percent shooting from the field and 57.3 percent efficiency from the foul line. Fortunately, the Bulls have been able to limit their opponents to 65.6 ppg on 40.1 percent overall shooting. The top performer for UB is Rodney Pierce, who is averaging 17.0 ppg. Greg Gamble checks in with 14.0 ppg, and Calvin Betts is netting 10.0 ppg to go along with his 8.4 rpg. In the double-digit victory over Temple last time out, Buffalo connected on 53.7 percent of its field goal attempts and was an efficient 20-of-25 from the charity stripe. The Bulls also benefited from a 33-24 rebounding advantage. Betts scored 18 points in the win, and Gamble added 15 points. Andy Robinson chipped in 13 points off the bench.
