STORRS, Conn. – UConn guard Ryan Boatright had an unusual view of the game-winning basket. Boatright was on the floor, looking up as Jonathan Holmes hit the 3-point shot from deep in the left corner with 2.2 seconds remaining to lift No. 7 Texas to a 55-54 victory before a sellout crowd of 10,167 at Gampel Pavilion.
Within a few seconds, Boatright was being helped to the UConn training room, unable to put any weight on his left ankle. As Texas inbounded the ball in front of its own bench with 4.4 seconds remaining and UConn clinging to a two-point lead, Boatright got caught in a screen by Demarcus Holland and rolled his ankle.
“Man, it was crazy,” Boatright said. “When I fell, when I rolled it, I was watching [Holmes] the whole time, so it was just like slow motion. As I’m watching the ball go through the air, I couldn’t even feel my ankle. It was numb. As soon as I saw the ball go through the basket, it shot through me. The pain went crazy.
“But it was a great play and [Holmes] made a tough shot . It’s basketball. You’ve got to live with it, get better and move on.”
This one will be difficult for the Huskies to put in the rear view mirror. UConn lost for the first time in 45 nonconference games at Gampel Pavilion, a streak that dated back 13 years. The Huskies led by six points with six minutes remaining but missed their last eight field goal attempts on the way to 30.4 percent shooting for the game.
And there were some tense moments after the game as Boatright (24 points, 7 rebounds) was treated for his injury. It was just one of the numerous rolled ankles Boatright has sustained during his UConn career. Boatright said it didn’t feel any more serious than the others, but his status will be determined by how the ankle responds to treatment before Friday night’s game against Yale.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I’ll be back,” Boatright said before leaving Gampel on crutches. “It’s nothing major to the point I’m going to miss two or three games. I don’t know if I’m going to play Friday but I’m going to try my best.”
UConn coach Kevin Ollie said the Huskies would have Monday off and return to practice Tuesday.
“He hates missing practice,” Ollie said of Boatright. “That’s one guy I’m not going to be worried about getting back on the court.”
UConn fans know that to be true. Boatright, a senior, has fought through twisted ankles before, including the national championship game against Kentucky last season.
With 5:58 left Sunday, under the same basket where Holmes hit his winning shot, Boatright got caught up in a battle for a defensive rebound and fell to the floor. He grabbed his lower left leg and the pain didn’t go off his face until teammates helped him to his feet. That was just the beginning of Boatright’s ankle problem.
“It was bothering me the rest of the game,” Boatright said. “Anybody who knows me, knows I’m not going to sit down. I was just trying to tough it out the last four minutes.”
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