Spring Break
JUST CALL HIM 'MR. CLUTCH'
Men's Basketball: Austrie Continues To Thrive In Big Situations
Justin Verrier
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: Sports
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The Huskies didn't have A.J. Price, who was held scoreless in 14 first-half minutes, or Jeff Adrien, who also failed to get on the scoreboard until three minutes after the break.
They didn't even have the crowd, as the 14,858 in attendance at the XL Center sat on their hands for almost all of the first 30 minutes, turning a typically raucous home advantage into a night at the opera.
But they did have Craig Austrie. And that was all they needed to turn Tuesday's show into a winner.
In an encore performance after hitting the game-winning shot with 0.2 seconds left to beat South Florida Saturday, Austrie sank both of his free throw attempts with 20 seconds left in regulation to seal the victory.
"That's Mr. Clutch," said Doug Wiggins. "[He can make] free throws if it's free throws, a last minute shot - we can rely on him."
Starting in his eighth-straight game since the suspension of Jerome Dyson, Austrie provided the stability the Huskies desperately needed with Price going just 1-for-7 from the field and struggling to find breathing room against a defensive gameplan that focused on shutting him down.
Austrie finished second on the team with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting in 29 minutes of action.
With the victory, Austrie is now a perfect 9-0 as a starter this season and 34-5 in his career.
The impressive record may have surprised some, including Austrie himself; when told the stat two days ago, the eyes on his normally stern, emotionless face grew big in surprise.
But it didn't shock head coach Jim Calhoun.
"I've always believed in Craig," Calhoun said. "The situation forced me to use him from 14 minutes to [29] minutes. But he was ready for it. That's a unique person."
The words of praise for him are tossed around now unconsciously, but they didn't come so easily.
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