Hawkins, Sanogo lead No. 24 UConn past DePaul, 90-76

CHICAGO - Jordan Hawkins scored 26 points, Adama Sanogo had 25 and No. 24 UConn beat DePaul 90-76 on Tuesday night.

Tristen Newton added 21 points for UConn, which had dropped six of eight since its 14-0 start. The Huskies shot 51% (28 for 55) from the field and 30 for 34 from the free-throw line.

UConn (17-6, 6-6 Big East) improved to 16-1 against DePaul in the series. The Blue Demons (9-14, 3-9) got their only victory over the Huskies 16 years ago.

Javan Johnson scored 19 points for DePaul, which has dropped four straight and 10 of 13 overall. Da’Sean Nelson had 16, and Eral Penn finished with 13.

The Blue Demons trailed 59-39 after Sanogo’s layup with 16:18 left. But Johnson’s 3-pointer sparked an 18-4 run that trimmed the Huskies’ lead to 63-57 midway through the second half.

Newton then had a big four-point play for UConn, and an 8-0 run restored a comfortable margin for the Huskies for the final minutes.

DePaul went 9 for 16 at the line in the second half, hurting its ability to rally.

Sanogo had 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting when he was whistled for his second foul with 7:54 left in the first half, sending him to the bench. With their burly forward watching from the sideline, the Huskies responded.

Hawkins sparked a 12-1 run with five straight foul shots, including three after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt. A driving layup for Newton and Hawkins’ 3 made it 40-27 with 3:45 left.

UConn shot 52% (17 for 33) on its way to a 46-33 halftime lead. Hawkins had 15 points at the break.

Sanogo returned for the start of the second half and immediately asserted himself with a layup on UConn’s first possession. He went 10 for 13 from the field for the game and finished with nine rebounds.

BIG PICTURE

UConn: The play of Hawkins and Newton, especially while Sanogo was hampered by foul trouble, is a positive sign for the Huskies as they try to put together a strong finish.

DePaul: It was a tough night for Umoja Gibson, who had eight points on 3-for-10 shooting before fouling out with 3:58 remaining. Gibson was averaging a team-high 16.2 points coming into the game.

UP NEXT

UConn: At Georgetown on Saturday.

DePaul: At Seton Hall on Sunday.