Tarris Reed Jr. has 31 points and 27 rebounds as No. 2 UConn beats Furman 82-71 in NCAA Tournament
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tarris Reed Jr. put up monster numbers — 31 points and 27 rebounds, the kind of sensational stat line not seen in the NCAA Tournament in nearly 60 years — that saved UConn from the upset of this March. Yet, Reed — who missed three shots all night and had a double-double on offensive and defensive boards — wanted even more.
“I feel like I let my foot off the gas a little bit in the second half,” Reed said. Maybe Reed can pump the brakes on the modesty. UConn needed every ounce of production it got from Reed, along with 22 points from Alex Karaban for the second-seeded Huskies to move on with an 82-71 victory over Furman.
“That was the game, this guy," UConn coach Dan Hurley said, motioning toward Reed. “That’s as dominant a performance as you’ve probably seen from a big guy in tournament history. That’s what he’s capable of.
This guy’s a total monster and today he was a real grizzly bear. ” UConn (30-5) advanced to play UCLA in the second round of the East Region on Sunday. For about 36 minutes in Philadelphia, it sure looked like Hurley and the Huskies had a chance of heading back home instead.
But Reed wouldn't let them, the All-Big East center becoming the first player with 30-plus points and 25-plus rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game since Houston's Elvin Hayes did it twice in 1968, when the field had only 23 teams. Reed, who made 12 of 15 shots from the field with 11 offensive rebounds and 16 defensive, knew early Furman would have difficulty stopping him. “I feel like just watching film, from the jump,” Reed said.
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