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When we last checked in with the Huskies, they had just upset Villanova, the number 2 seed in their bracket, to advance to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament. They earned the right to play the number three seeded Iowa State Cyclones for the right to advance to the Elite Eight. So, could Kevin Ollie‘s boys continue their run of upsets and move onto the next round? You bet your ass they could.

The only difference between this win and the others was that Shabazz Napier wasn’t the star of the show in this one. Sure, the Senior guard played well, chipping in 19 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists, but the real hot hand was Junior Forward DeAndre Daniels. Daniels actually also had a solid game against Villanova, but nothing quite like the game he put together on Friday night against the Cyclones. Daniels was 10-15 from the floor  on his way to racking up 27 points. He also pulled down 10 rebounds on the night. Daniels kept getting the ball from his teammates and hitting shots, which helped UConn win 81-76, despite being outscored by 5 in the second half.

For the Cyclones, the big star of the night was Dustin Hogue. The Junior Forward from Yonkers, NY put up a game high 34 points on 15-19 shooting. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to overcome UConn’s 10 point half time lead. DeAndre Kane, who carried the Cyclones to their win against the North Carolina Tar Heels last week, nearly had a triple double with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, but the Daniels and the Huskies were too much.

Up next for UConn is an Elite Eight matchup against the fourth seeded Michigan State Spartans. Can they upset the Spartans too? Well, they beat the number 2 seed in the second round and the number 3 seed in the third round, so why not the number four seed in the fourth round? The Huskies are playing well right now, and it’s a bit reminiscent of their championship run in 2011. They just might be able to do it again this year. We’ll find out if they’re in the Final Four after today’s game.

Check out the boxscore, courtesy of ESPN.

Featured image courtesy of: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Martin Stezano

About Martin Stezano

Uruguayan born and American raised with a unique perspective on the domestic and international sports scenes. It will both tickle your funny bone and enlighten your mind. Love it or hate it...just read it.