Connecticut @ Southern Methodist preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 10, 2019 ) Southern Methodist 64, Connecticut 76

Connecticut showed plenty of heart last time out against No. 8 Houston and will look to build off that effort while winning a true road game for the first time this season Thursday night at SMU in an American Athletic Conference matchup. The short-handed Huskies trimmed a 17-point deficit to six with just over two minutes left last Thursday before falling 71-63 against the powerful Cougars and go for a regular-season sweep of SMU.

“We might not be everything that we need to be, in terms of being whole and having everything we need to be what UConn fans are used to seeing on the court,” Huskies’ first-year coach Danny Hurley told reporters. “But we’re not cowards, we’re not soft. We’re tough. We’re developing a culture here of not giving in and playing through.” UConn’s leading scorer Jalen Adams (knee) will miss his third straight game while third-leading scorer Alterique Gilbert (shoulder) is day-to-day, and the duo combined for 40 points in the 76-64 triumph against SMU on Jan. 10. The Mustangs have struggled since a promising 10-4 start, losing eight of their past 10 and five straight after an 82-74 setback in the last game against Temple on Feb. 13. Senior guard Jahmal McMurray scored 15 in the first matchup with the Huskies and leads SMU at 17.7 points per game after pouring in 22 versus Temple.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT CONNECTICUT (13-12, 4-8 American): Adams (17.0 points), a senior guard, is likely out until the conference tournament and the Huskies are 1-4 since the 6-0 sophomore Gilbert (12.9 points, 3.8 assists) went down with his injury. Junior guard Christian Vital (14.0 points) has raised his production level in league play, averaging 15.8 after scoring 15 against Houston, while freshman guard Sidney Wilson (4.8) scored 11.5 per contest in the last four. Sophomore forward Tyler Polley (8.0 points) scored 29 combined on 10-of-19 shooting the past two games.

ABOUT SMU (12-12, 4-8): Sophomore forward Isiaha Mike is averaging 18.7 points over the past six games - more than six above his season mark - and hauled in a season-high 11 rebounds against Temple last week. Mike (12.3) is still fourth on the team in scoring behind McMurray (team-high 76 3-pointers), junior guard Jimmy Whitt Jr. (12.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, team-best 4.3 assists) and sophomore forward Ethan Chargois (12.5, 6.7 rebounds). The Mustangs are 1-6 since versatile senior guard Jarrey Foster (7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds) went down with a knee injury and 4-9 overall without him in the lineup this season.

TIP-INS

1. UConn senior G Tarin Smith is averaging 10.2 points over the last five games after combining for 11 the previous three contests.

2. SMU senior G Nat Dixon is 2-of-13 from the field - 0-of-8 from 3-point range - in the last four games.

3. The Huskies are second in the American in 3-point shooting percentage (35.3) and the Mustangs are last in 3-point defense (35.8).

PREDICTION: Connecticut 74, SMU 70