Spring Break
Price, Robinson shine in victory
Marc Gauthier
Issue date: 3/20/09 Section: Sports
PHILADELPHIA - Before Thursday's game, A.J. Price had only played a total of nine minutes in the NCAA Tournament. His ACL injury in the first half of last year's 70-69 overtime loss to San Diego was the only NCAA experience Price ever had.
When Hasheem Thabeet won the tip for UConn, A.J. Price brought the ball across half-court. He was in the middle of calling out a play when Chattanooga's Keyron Sheard stole the ball and converted on a lay-up. Inside the Wachovia Center, fans erupted in a chorus of cheers.
The start of Price's second NCAA Tournament game wasn't going well.
"It was a good defensive play on his part," he said. "But it was also a bad play on me, as well."
In the ensuing UConn possessions, Price took three 3-pointers and a jumper, missing on all four shots.
Then he got going.
"I was just thinking about getting one to go down for me," Price said. "I couldn't hit one, it seemed like, to start the game. Once I got the first one, I just got into a rhythm. I'm a rhythm shooter."
With 10:34 left to play in the first half, the Huskies were winning 19-15. Price hit one 3-pointer. Then he hit another. And then another after that.
Within one minute, Price put the Huskies up 28-15.
After hitting his second 3-pointer, Price was leading the fast break when he started smiling. It seemed as if he knew something was going to happen.
"I was smiling at the defender because in my head, I knew I had the guy right where I wanted him," Price said. "I had the world in my hands and I knew I could do anything with the ball."
Price's nine points in one minute led the way for a 31-5 UConn run to end the first half.
"A.J. is a crazy player; I've always thought that he was a crazy player," said teammate Stanley Robinson. "He's just a great player and the way he performs every game is unbelievable. It's great to have a player like that on the court, especially when he's on your team."
While Price finished the game with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, it was Robinson who led the team in scoring, putting in 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting. But Robinson's 24 points don't reflect the bigger impact he had on Thursday's game.
When Hasheem Thabeet won the tip for UConn, A.J. Price brought the ball across half-court. He was in the middle of calling out a play when Chattanooga's Keyron Sheard stole the ball and converted on a lay-up. Inside the Wachovia Center, fans erupted in a chorus of cheers.
The start of Price's second NCAA Tournament game wasn't going well.
"It was a good defensive play on his part," he said. "But it was also a bad play on me, as well."
In the ensuing UConn possessions, Price took three 3-pointers and a jumper, missing on all four shots.
Then he got going.
"I was just thinking about getting one to go down for me," Price said. "I couldn't hit one, it seemed like, to start the game. Once I got the first one, I just got into a rhythm. I'm a rhythm shooter."
With 10:34 left to play in the first half, the Huskies were winning 19-15. Price hit one 3-pointer. Then he hit another. And then another after that.
Within one minute, Price put the Huskies up 28-15.
After hitting his second 3-pointer, Price was leading the fast break when he started smiling. It seemed as if he knew something was going to happen.
"I was smiling at the defender because in my head, I knew I had the guy right where I wanted him," Price said. "I had the world in my hands and I knew I could do anything with the ball."
Price's nine points in one minute led the way for a 31-5 UConn run to end the first half.
"A.J. is a crazy player; I've always thought that he was a crazy player," said teammate Stanley Robinson. "He's just a great player and the way he performs every game is unbelievable. It's great to have a player like that on the court, especially when he's on your team."
While Price finished the game with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, it was Robinson who led the team in scoring, putting in 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting. But Robinson's 24 points don't reflect the bigger impact he had on Thursday's game.
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