Huskies Pin First Loss on Panthers

Connecticut and Pittsburgh went retro Monday night at Hartford, Conn., playing a Big East Conference-style game like the ones that gave the league its physical reputation.

“Only the brave dared report for that game,” Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun said of his No. 4-ranked Huskies’ 68-65 victory over the No. 8 Panthers. “The 10 starters all played at least 30 minutes, and if you didn’t stand up you got knocked down. You couldn’t find a place to hide.”

The Huskies, who improved to 15-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference, bounced back from Saturday’s 86-83 loss at North Carolina that knocked them from the No. 1 ranking they’d held for the previous five weeks.

“Two losses in a row, we didn’t even think about that,” guard Taliek Brown said.

Now that’s a possibility for the Panthers (18-1, 4-1), who were one of the last four unbeaten teams in Division I.

“A lot of people didn’t think we’re as good as we are because our schedule wasn’t that tough,” Pittsburgh guard Carl Krauser said. “We’re as good as our record says we are.”

Denham Brown led the Huskies with 20 points.

Krauser, who had a career-high 24 points for Pittsburgh, made two free throws with 34 seconds left to cut the deficit to 66-65.

No. 18 Texas Tech 67, No. 20 Oklahoma 47 -- Andre Emmett scored 21 points at Lubbock, Texas, and the Red Raiders won their 11th consecutive game.

The winning streak is their longest under Coach Bob Knight. The Red Raiders (15-2, 3-0 Big 12) won 10 in a row during the 2001-02 season -- Knight’s first at the school -- before a loss at Oklahoma.

The Sooners (10-4, 0-3) dropped their fourth in a row. In three of the defeats -- against Connecticut, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech -- they lost by at least 20 points.