Connecticut 81, DePaul 69: Shabazz Napier tallied 28 points and seven rebounds as the visiting Huskies used an explosive second half to power past the struggling Blue Demons.

Ryan Boatright and Omar Calhoun each scored 17 points for Connecticut (19-7, 9-5), which scored 47 points and shot 70.8 percent in the second half to win for the fourth time in its last five contests. Napier fell one point short of matching his career high of 29 – set against Quinnipiac and Marquette earlier this season.

Cleveland Melvin logged his seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds for DePaul (11-16, 2-12), which has lost 11 of its last 12 games.

The Blue Demons took advantage of the Huskies’ lack of inside size in the first half, collecting 20 points inside the paint and shooting 53.6 percent on their way to 37-34 advantage at the break. But DePaul’s second halftime lead in conference action did not last long as Napier drained a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play over a 34-second span to turn a one-point deficit into a five-point lead.

Napier’s outburst sparked 13 unanswered points to give Connecticut a 59-47 cushion. The Blue Demons closed to within 10 points moments later, but Calhoun scored eight of the game’s next 10 points to stretch the margin to 74-54 with 6:14 remaining.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Connecticut, which shot 60 percent, has won nine straight meetings and improved to 10-1 all-time against DePaul. … The Blue Demons have allowed five of their last six opponents to score at least 81 points and hit more than half of their field goal attempts. … The Huskies shot 11-of-22 beyond the arc, setting a season high for 3-pointers.