A tying 3-pointer at the regulation horn extended the game and allowed Marquette to post an 82-76 win in both teams' Big East opener.
Marquette's Junior Cadougan celebrates his 3-pointer that tied the score at the end of regulation against Connecticut Tuesday in Milwaukee.
By ERIK BROOKS
MILWAUKEE – Junior Cadougan scored 18 points – including a buzzer-beating, tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation – to lead Marquette to an 82-76 overtime win over Connecticut Tuesday night in the Big East Conference opener for both teams.
Davante Gardner added 18 points off the bench for the Golden Eagles (10-3). Vander Blue scored 13 points as Marquette won its 17th in a row at home.
Shabazz Napier tied his career high with 29 points and had eight rebounds for Connecticut (10-3). Ryan Boatright added 16 for the Huskies.
Cadougan's 3-pointer was the Golden Eagles' first after missing their first 14 from behind the arc.
The game was the first for UConn coach Kevin Ollie since he received a five-year, nearly $7 million contract extension Saturday. Marquette was without coach Buzz Williams, serving a one-game suspension for NCAA recruiting-rules violations announced in August. Assistant Brad Autry filled in for Williams, who is expected to return for Saturday's game against No. 15 Georgetown.
Cadougan opened the overtime with a runner to make it 71-69, but UConn's Omar Calhoun sank a 3-pointer to make it 72-71 with 3:16 left. Blue's 3-pointer with 1:41 left put the Golden Eagles ahead to stay at 74-72, and Jamil Wilson's layup put them up 76-72 with 47 seconds remaining.
Napier made a layup to cut it back to two points, and Cadougan made a free throw with 33 seconds to go. Napier's shot at a tying 3-pointer missed with 18 seconds left, and Wilson made a free throw before Trent Lockett added two more as Marquette wrapped it up. The Golden Eagles haven't lost at home since Vanderbilt beat them 74-57 Dec. 29, 2011.
Marquette led 30-27 at halftime and scored the first seven points of the second half, but the Huskies cut it to 40-38 on a layup by DeAndre Daniels.
The Golden Eagles used a 12-4 run to open a 52-42 lead with 12:10 left. But Connecticut and Napier responded, the junior guard scoring 11 straight points – three 3-pointers and two free throws – to tie the game at 57 with 7:23 remaining. A free throw by Tyler Olander with 6:46 left gave the Huskies their first lead since the opening minutes.
Both teams struggled to score down the stretch.
Connecticut took a 67-66 lead on a tough runner by Boatright with 3:36 left, and the Huskies made it 69-66 with 5.9 seconds left on Boatright's jumper from the top of the key with the shot clock winding down. Not using a timeout, Cadougan took the inbounds pass, dribbled to the right wing and sank a 3-pointer over Boatright from well outside the arc.
Marquette had gone more than 5 minutes without a basket before the shot.
Marquette outrebounded Connecticut 41-31. And led by Gardner, Marquette's bench outscored Connecticut's 41-11.
Connecticut had won four straight, including a 61-53 victory over Washington on Saturday. Ollie's new deal, which began Monday, was announced the same day.
Ollie replaced Jim Calhoun Sept. 13. Calhoun, who won three NCAA championships at Connecticut, retired with 873 career wins, the sixth most all time, in 1,253 games, which is the third-highest total. Ollie initially signed a seven-month contract set to expire in March before UConn rewarded its former star guard for the Huskies' surprising 10-2 start.