Men's Basketball Stuns No. 15 Connecticut, 77-74

Jan. 20, 2001

Box Score | WQAM-Radio Bench Warmer Contest

MIAMI (AP) – Marcus Barnes scored 24 points and John Salmons added 16 asMiami beat Connecticut 77-74 Saturday, the 15th-ranked Huskies’ third straightloss.

Salmons clinched the victory with a pair of free throws and a slam dunk inthe final 11 seconds. The dunk, with 2.7 on the clock, was Miami’s only fieldgoal in the final 6:18.

The Hurricanes (10-7, 3-2 Big East) led by as many as 16 points in the firsthalf, and Connecticut (13-5, 2-3) couldn’t get the gap under three points inthe second half.

Trailing 72-67, Connecticut – which finished with 19 turnovers – turned theball over with 27.7 seconds left. Salmons was then fouled and made one of twofree throws.

Caron Butler paced the Huskies with 25 points, with 16 in the second half.Edmund Saunders and Albert Mouring each added 14.

Barnes, who scored 20 points in Miami’s victory over Providence on Tuesday,made six 3-pointers. Miami tied its season high with nine 3s.

The Hurricanes’ biggest lead came at 41-25, on Dwayne Wimbley’s three-pointplay with 3:14 left in the first half.

Connecticut jumped out to a 9-3 lead and shot 56 percent for the half. Butthe Huskies turned the ball over 13 times, and Miami’s reserves provided alift, scoring 16 points.