This season has not been an easy one for the UConn men’s basketball team. There were times when it looked like they were a top 15 team in the country. Far too often though, they looked like a lower-level tournament team or even a squad that didn’t belong in the tournament at all.
Still, the 8-seed Huskies soldiered on. They gutted their way through this campaign, taking many hits along the way but also landing some punches. Ultimately, they found their way into the NCAA tournament, pitted against Oklahoma, a fast and offense-oriented squad from a loaded SEC.
Instead of being a shootout, it was a slog. Played in the trenches, much like coach Dan Hurley’s contests at Connecticut during his first few years, neither team found their rhythm offensively.
Normally, this game style doesn’t suit the Huskies, who have struggled mightily on the defensive end this season. But somehow they found a way to emerge with a victory, winning 67-59.
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The Sooners shot 32% from the field and 18% from three, which was not expected. Oklahoma is one of the best shooting teams in the nation and UConn has done a poor job defending the triple this year, making a solid mark from deep a game-changer.
It also helped that the Huskies dominated the glass, out rebounding Oklahoma 41-34. Especially down the stretch they had just a bit more aggression, which made all the difference.
Oklahoma’s best player, Jeremiah Fears, had an off game, though still contributing 20 points. He went 5-14 from the field and missed a handful of bunnies, especially at inopportune times. The projected lottery pick was pretty much all of his team’s offense to start the game, but couldn’t maintain his excellence as the game wore on.
Veteran Alex Karaban proved why experience matters in March, putting together an underwhelming first 35 minutes, yet stepping up when it mattered. He finished with 13 points, seven of which coming in the final five minutes of action. The two-time champion was responsible for the most important shot of the night, nailing a dagger from the wing to increase the Husky lead to four. It hasn’t been an easy year for Karaban, but that shot righted a lot of his wrongs.
Very good, but perhaps not aggressive enough was Solo Ball, who added 14 points on seven shots. His efficiency was impressive and he kept Connecticut afloat in the second half. Even though he took the fourth most shots of all Huskies, he still finished as the team’s leading scorer.
The center combination of Tarris Reed Jr. and Samson Johnson also did enough, constantly fighting foul trouble but never letting it get too bad. At times it seemed like they were playing a game of musical chairs, with one fouling and the other taking a seat, but one of them was always out there. As such, they combined for 20 points and 13 boards, missing just two attempts across them. Neither was excellent, but each did what they needed to do in order to eke out the victory.
Liam McNeeley appeared to be ready for a big night early with an early triple and layup, but he had a rough time. He finished with eight points on 2/13 shooting, not a great game. The freshman phenom has shown so much talent at times this year, though has found himself slumping as of late.
UConn jumped out to a 11-2 advantage, but it was gradually chipped away at. Fears and his Sooners used great defense–and some mediocre offense–to close the gap to three over the next few minutes.
The scoring was minimal over the rest of the half, as the Huskies made efforts to stretch their lead out, but never was able to sustain it. They ultimately went into the locker room with a six-point advantage, which felt pretty good given their lack of cohesiveness.
Fears scored the first four points of the second half, putting Oklahoma within a possession as the Huskies’ guards and bigs took turns getting into foul trouble. But as was the theme of the game, Connecticut roared back with excellent plays from Jaylin Stewart and Johnson, fueling a 9-2 run.
The Sooners didn’t back down, as seven straight Mohamed Wague points helped them take their first lead of the night. Things stayed very close, with the score tied at 54, and six minutes left to decide it.
Perhaps the play of the game came on a deep triple from Karaban with a moment to go, his first of the night. Ball blocked a shot on the other end, Reed Jr. got a tip-in to go, and that was all she wrote.
Though ugly, this game was positive. A win is a win for these Huskies, who didn’t have any triumphs guaranteed in the postseason. They won a matchup in a way they really haven’t this year, which is a positive sign. Not everyone had their best outing, but at this stage, all victories count the same.
An extra special part of this one is that it was their 13th straight NCAA tournament win, the second-longest streak ever. They’ll have to win a few more consecutive championships to catch UCLA, the top team in the category.
Their journey to get there continues on Sunday at 12:10 p.m. when they take on the 1-seed Florida Gators. Florida is a popular pick to cut the nets down in March and will be a tough matchup for the Huskies. There is a path to victory, but it won’t be easy with the completeness of the Gators and the holes that the Huskies have shown against top competition this year.
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