GAME NOTES: The Connecticut Huskies will try to bounce back from a difficult loss when they host the Yale Bulldogs in a non-conference affair at Gampel Pavilion.

Yale has been racking up wins at a torrid pace here in the early going, with a 7-2 record entering this contest. The Bulldogs defeated Bryant, 67-60, to kick off a four-game road trip on Wednesday. It was their second straight win since a 72-66 loss at Providence. They will take on SEC power Florida in their next outing.

Gampel Pavilion was the site of UConn's last game as well, with the Huskies clashing with No. 7 Texas on Sunday. UConn fell just short in the contest, 55-54, when the Longhorns' Jonathan Holmes drilled a 3-pointer in the final seconds. The Huskies have lost back-to-back games and will take on Coppin State next.

This regional rivalry is one in name only. UConn has won twice as many games as Yale in series (44-22), and has come out in 20 of the last 21 meetings.

Justin Sears and Javier Duren each scored 15 points as four of Yale's starters finished in double figures in the recent win over Bryant. The Bulldogs connected on 46 percent of their total shots, but were outscored, 30-15, from beyond the arc. Fortunately, a healthy scoring edge at the free-throw line (16-4), coupled with a 38-28 advantage on the glass outweighed the deficit from 3-point range.

Yale is one of the better scoring teams in the Ivy League, or at least it has been to this point. The Bulldogs are netting 73.5 points per game and shooting just below 45 percent from the field. Duren (14.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.3 spg) does a bit of everything, leading the team in scoring, assists and steals, while ranking third in rebounds. Sears (13.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.8 bpg) has proven himself to be a handful down low with his ability to score, clean the glass and protect the rim. Jack Montague (10.9 ppg) has gotten off to a hot start from 3-point range (.533).

A pair of free throws from Ryan Boatright gave UConn a 51-45 lead over Texas with just over six minutes to play. However, the Huskies crumbled down the stretch, leading to Holmes' game-winning dagger. UConn only made 30.4 percent of its field goal attempts in the contest and was outscored, 21-9, from 3- point range. Boatright netted 24 points, but needed an 8-of-21 showing from the floor to do so.

Boatright has taken a lot onto his shoulders this season, doing his best Shabazz Napier impression by leading the Huskies in scoring (20.8 ppg), assists (4 apg) and steals (1.6 spg), while also contributing 6.2 rebounds per game. Freshman phenom Daniel Hamilton (13.2 ppg, 7 rpg) has been strong as well, with Amida Brimah (8.4 ppg, 3.2 bpg) swatting away just about anything that comes near the rim. However, the Huskies lack depth, with only seven players seeing time in all five games.

For how strong Yale has been, it will need to play a nearly perfect game against UConn, and even that may not be enough.