STORRS, Conn. (AP) -- Jeff Adrien had 25 points and nine rebounds in his final home game, and No. 2 Connecticut held off Notre Dame 72-65 on Saturday.
Hasheem Thabeet added 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocked shots for UConn (27-2, 15-2 Big East), which is assured of byes in the first and second rounds of the Big East tournament.
Tory Jackson had 17 points, while Kyle McAlarney and Luke Harangody each added 14 for Notre Dame (16-12, 7-9). The Irish came in having won four of their last five games, and needed a win to make a strong case for an NCAA tournament bid.
The victory was the 15th in a row for the Huskies at Gampel Pavilion.
Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun, who has been at the center a controversy over remarks he made last week to a freelance journalist defending his seven-figure salary, received two standing ovations. He got the first when he entered the arena and another when he was honored for his 800th career win, which he earned Wednesday at Marquette.
UConn won the first meeting with the Irish this season, 69-61 at the Joyce Center on Jan. 24. That win snapped Notre Dame's 45-game home winning streak, and the Irish were hoping to return the favor.
The Irish stayed with the Huskies throughout the game and UConn was up just 66-65 with 42 seconds left. That's when A.J. Price threw a lob pass to Thabeet, who was shoved to the ground by McAlarney. Thabeet went to the bench, and Craig Austrie came in to hit both free throws, as the fans began chanting, "Number One."
Sports
McAlarney missed a 3-pointer on the other end and the Huskies hit enough free throws in the closing seconds to secure the win.
Thabeet came out strong, blocking two Harangody shots and scoring seven of the Huskies' first 11 points as UConn built an 11-5 lead.
Adrien and Thabeet were a combined 10-for-10 from the field in the first half. The pair also combined for seven of the Huskies' nine first-half blocks, forcing Notre Dame to the perimeter.
The Irish thrived there, hitting six 3-pointers in the half, including two each from McAlarney and Jackson. They were down just 32-30 at the break, despite shooting just 32 percent from the field.
The Irish hit just two 3s in the second half, and ended up 8-of-27 from behind the arc, just as they were in first meeting between the two teams.
UConn hit just 2-of-8 from 3-point range, but won the battle down low, shooting almost 54 percent from the floor. Thabeet and Adrien were a combined 18-for-28.
Notre Dame hasn't beaten a top-five team since a 99-85 win over Alabama in December 2006.
