HARTFORD, Conn. -- Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun thought a sprained ankle would keep leading scorer Jeremy Lamb out of the Huskies' game against Coppin State so he had a quick chat with point guard Shabazz Napier an hour before the tipoff.
"He basically said run the team, be a leader, stay out of foul trouble and make sure we win the game," Napier said.
It turned out Lamb was able to play, but Napier took Calhoun's words to heart, compiling 22 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds to lead No. 4 Connecticut to an 87-70 victory over the Eagles on Sunday.
Napier's triple-double was the ninth in UConn history and the first since Kemba Walker had one last season against Maryland-Baltimore County. Walker sat in the front row behind the UConn bench Sunday.
"He was really good today. I don't care who we were playing, he was really good," Calhoun said of Napier, who committed just one turnover in 39 on the court. "He threw some terrific passes.
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