UConn defeats Auburn in wild 2OT Battle 4 Atlantis opener

It was high-scoring, it wasn’t pretty, but it was a victory for UConn.

The Huskies defeated the 22nd-ranked Auburn Tigers in their Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament opener on Wednesday afternoon. The 115-109 victory over the Tigers in double overtime threw many viewers for a loop. And luckily for the Huskies, they fell on the winning side of the fence.

UConn held a lead as large as 15, as they were up 65-50 with 11 minutes left. But an Auburn surge down the stretch, in which they scored 29 points to UConn’s 18 in the final 10 minutes, helped send the game to OT. After a period where both scored 12, it was on to double OT. That was where UConn pushed themselves further ahead. After being tied at 100, the Huskies went on a run. They scored the next nine points and Auburn never got closer than within four with 22 seconds remaining.

In a game like this, you’ll have to take the good with the bad. The good? 30 points from Adama Sanogo and 24 from RJ Cole. In addition, Tyler Polley gave the Huskies 24 points and went 6-for-9 from 3-point range. The aforementioned Cole went 5-for-10, helping to boost his team to a 15-for-26 day from 3.

The bad? 24 turnovers on the afternoon that led to 19 Auburn points. The defense also collapsed, allowing 60 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3 in the second half.

Sharpening up will be necessary for UConn. They are back in action on Thanksgiving against the Michigan State Spartans, who edged out Loyola-Chicago in the first game of the day.