JUST CALL HIM 'MR. CLUTCH'

HARTFORD - A surprisingly staunch DePaul defense didn't leave the Huskies with much to work with heading into the second half.

The Huskies didn't have A.J. Price, who was held scoreless in 14 first-half minutes, or Jeff Adrien, who also failed to get on the scoreboard until three minutes after the break.

They didn't even have the crowd, as the 14,858 in attendance at the XL Center sat on their hands for almost all of the first 30 minutes, turning a typically raucous home advantage into a night at the opera.

But they did have Craig Austrie. And that was all they needed to turn Tuesday's show into a winner.

In an encore performance after hitting the game-winning shot with 0.2 seconds left to beat South Florida Saturday, Austrie sank both of his free throw attempts with 20 seconds left in regulation to seal the victory.

"That's Mr. Clutch," said Doug Wiggins. "[He can make] free throws if it's free throws, a last minute shot - we can rely on him."

Starting in his eighth-straight game since the suspension of Jerome Dyson, Austrie provided the stability the Huskies desperately needed with Price going just 1-for-7 from the field and struggling to find breathing room against a defensive gameplan that focused on shutting him down.

Austrie finished second on the team with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting in 29 minutes of action.

With the victory, Austrie is now a perfect 9-0 as a starter this season and 34-5 in his career.

The impressive record may have surprised some, including Austrie himself; when told the stat two days ago, the eyes on his normally stern, emotionless face grew big in surprise.

But it didn't shock head coach Jim Calhoun.

"I've always believed in Craig," Calhoun said. "The situation forced me to use him from 14 minutes to [29] minutes. But he was ready for it. That's a unique person."

The words of praise for him are tossed around now unconsciously, but they didn't come so easily.

For three years, Austrie has worked for everything that he now has.

He was labeled as just a placeholder for Marcus Williams his freshman season, a role player the next as well as earlier this season, he was just another face lost in the crowded UConn backcourt. It took the loss of two of their three best guards for him to claim a starting role, and even then, no one believed he could make an impact. Not one like Dyson, who was the leading scorer and at that point the face of the team.

But through all of his ups and downs, Calhoun was one of the few that knew who the shy junior from Stamford really was: someone he can count on.

"He's the kind of guy who will never screw up a game, he can always defend, he, generally speaking, knows the right play to make," Calhoun said. "Trustworthy guys are hard to find today in basketball. If you had three or four of him on your team, you'd be a very fortunate coach."

Starting in his first game after Wiggins and Dyson were suspended, Austrie made good on his coach's faith in him.

In 28 minutes, a then season-high, Austrie connected on nine of his 12 free throw attempts and finished with 15 points to push the Huskies over Indiana.

Ever since, the junior has flourished.

Over the last nine games, Austrie is averaging 10 points a game. But perhaps more importantly, he's shown the rest of his teammates and fans that they too can believe in him.

"Before they didn't have the confidence in me to make that shot," Austrie said. "I feel like I have to show everybody."

With performances like his past two, he doesn't have to prove anything. But Austrie isn't taking that for granted.

Only a few hours after practice the night before the game, Austrie's father drove an hour and 45 minutes, and about 100 miles, to shoot 3's with his son at the gym for almost two hours.

The routine is something Austrie said they do almost every day.

"We're out there working," Austrie said. "I love my dad for that."

That type of work has brought Austrie to the position he's in now. And according to Calhoun, it's a position he will remain in, even when Dyson returns.

And why wouldn't he?

Austrie's tale has been so rewarding so far, he needs to see how this story will end.

Contact Justin Verrier

at Justin.Verrier@UConn.edu.