PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The American Athletic Conference earned two more men's basketball victories on Thursday night to improve to 8-2 overall in 2018. UConn was victorious at Gampel Pavilion to give first-year head coach Dan Hurley his initial win in Storrs. SMU also earned the win in the Mustangs home-opener at Moody Coliseum
Results
UConn 80, Morehead State 70
Dan Hurley had a successful coaching debut at UConn Thursday as his Huskies opened their season with an 80-70 win over Morehead State.
Josh Carlton scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Jalen Adams scored 16 points and Alterique Gilbert added 15 for the Huskies.
Lamontray Harris had 16 points and Malek Green 14 for Morehead State.
The student section in Gampel Pavilion held up letters that spelled out "Hello Hurley" and cheered loudly as the new coach made his way to the bench before the game.
The 45-year-old, who led Rhode Island to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his last two seasons, remained on his feet the entire game, gesturing and yelling for the Huskies to push the ball or urging the crowd to stand up and cheer.
His team's new aggressive style was on display from the opening tip when Adams dove to floor to force a tie-up and a turnover as his new coach applauded.
UConn, coming off a 14-18 season, never trailed. They led by as many as 13 in the first half and 16 in the second, but also weathered several Morehead State runs.
Hurley's new run-and-press resulted in the Huskies forcing 17 turnovers and outscored Morehead State team 46-22 in the paint. Last season, Hurley's Rhode Island team forced 536 turnovers, which ranked 13th nationally.
SMU 69, Northwestern State 58
Head coach Tim Jankovich led his team to a victory in its season-opener inside Moody Coliseum against Northwestern State, 69-58.
The Mustangs were able to exercise the Demons with a team effort that saw all 10 players who entered the game make an appearance on the scoresheet.
Jimmy Whitt Jr led the way with a strong line of 19 points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal.
He was joined in double-digit points by Nat Dixon who dropped 13 points with two 3-pointers, five boards, two assists and two steals. Six different Mustangs scored six points or more.
SMU led by five at the half but used a strong second 20 minutes to close out Northwestern State.
UPCOMING GAMES
| FRIDAY 11.9.18 |
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Providence |
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Wichita State |
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6 p.m. |
Annapolis, Md. |
TV:CBS Sports Network |
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Detroit Mercy |
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Temple |
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7 p.m. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPN3 |
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James Madison |
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ECU |
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7:45 p.m. |
Greenville, N.C. |
TV:ESPN3 |
| SATURDAY 11.10.18 |
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Alabama A&M |
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Houston |
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3 p.m. |
Houston, Texas |
Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPN3 |
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South Carolina State |
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Tulsa |
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4:30 p.m. |
Tulsa, Okla. |
Live Stats Live Video |
| SUNDAY 11.11.18 |
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Southern Miss |
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SMU |
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3 p.m. |
Dallas, Texas |
Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPN3 |
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Florida Atlantic |
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UCF |
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3 p.m. |
Orlando, Fla. |
Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPN3 |
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Lamar |
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ECU |
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4 p.m. |
Greenville, N.C. |
TV:ESPN3 |
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UMKC |
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UConn |
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5 p.m. |
Storrs, Conn. |
Live Stats Live Video
TV:SNY/ESPN3 |
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Florida State |
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Tulane |
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7 p.m. |
New Orleans, La. |
TV:ESPN3 |