HARTFORD, Conn. _ UConn was somewhat more competitive with a high-caliber opponent this time, but could salvage little more than some dignity from another loss to Southern Methodist.
The 17th-ranked Mustangs started out with the hot shooting touch, held off a Huskies' comeback and won 69-61 before 13,000 in American Athletic Conference basketball at the XL Center on Saturday.
Shake Milton hit six 3-point shots, good for 18 first-half points as SMU (25-4, 15-1 in the conference) opened an early 16-point lead. The Huskies trimmed it to 11 at the half, but Jalen Adams went down with a sprain left ankle and had to sit the entire second half.
Without their best player, the Huskies (14-14, 9-7) started hitting 3-pointers early in the second half, and when Rodney Purvis connected, they were within five points, 57-52, with 9:13 to go. One of the largest crowds of the season was rocking the building.
But then the Huskies cooled off, turned it over a couple of times and SMU was able to put the game away.
Kentan Facey had 15 points and nine rebounds, Christian Vital 14 points for UConn. With two games left in the regular season, the Huskies need a split to avoid the program's first losing season in 30 years, and to secure a top-five finish and first-round bye for the AAC tournament next month.
Milton finished with 20 for SMU, which as won 7 of 9 meetings with UConn since the American Athletic Conference was formed in 2013.
