Sometimes, no matter the flow of the game or the mistakes made by one team, a certain side is just destined to win. Even if they turn the ball over 25 times (17 more than the opponent) and have a -10 offensive rebound deficit. Winning top 10 games on the road is a tough task, so committing those errors shouldn’t allow a team to do so.
Somehow, the No. 25 men’s basketball defied the odds and picked up a critical victory over No. 9 Marquette in Milwaukee, WI. The Huskies had more turnovers than a bustling bakery and had a lot of trouble grabbing loose balls, but they won 77-69.
UCONN BASKETBALL MESSAGE BOARD | THE HUSKY HOUSE FORUM | UCONN BASKETBALL 2025 RECRUITING CLASS | UCONN FOOTBALL RECRUITING
A lot of what powered the difference were two factors: 3-point shooting and free throws. Even though UConn couldn’t stop fouling in the first half, leading to foul trouble for point guards Aidan Mahaney and Hassan Diarra, the Golden Eagles struggled mightily from the line. They made just 12 of their 22 freebies, which alone could have made the difference.
But the discrepancy from behind the arc was just as powerful. Connecticut has spent the year as a good shooting team and a very poor team defending shooting, but they were incredible Saturday night. They allowed 32% from their hosts in the department and shot 63% themselves.
The 12/19 figure is so absurd that it resembles that of their opponent’s 3-point shooting percentage from the Maui Invitational, where threes rained down on them. And there was one man responsible for more than half of their treys.
Solo Ball had a career night, making 7 of 9 threes en route to 25 points, while also hauling in 10 rebounds. Ball had a sensational night as a shooter, but also did really well as a defender. The number of breakdowns he’s committing are dwindling each game and the team is better for it. Ball was nearly impossible to take off the floor, becoming an alpha scorer to a Jordan Hawkins level. 46% from 3-point range is a tough figure to maintain from deep, but if he can keep it up then the ceiling gets much higher for the Huskies.
Though he wasn’t quite Ball as a scorer, Alex Karaban was a really important part of the effort. He kept the team organized and made a lot of the right plays, notching 15 points while also recording 4 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Karaban has had few “pretty” scoring nights lately with the amount of defensive attention he garners, but he’s starting to figure out ways to get around that and his team has been better for it.
Samson Johnson isn’t the first person one might mention when discussing this matchup, but he was perfect. He made all 4 field goals and all 5 free throws, culminating in 13 points. Johnson did pick up a few fouls along the way but wasn’t as bad as he had been there. It was an impressive night from the senior who did all the team needed from him.
Jayden Ross added just a pair of points to Connecticut’s point total, but was absolutely tremendous as a defender. His length caused Marquette a ton of problems and he played with the energy and desperation that is needed of him. Ross didn’t start the game, yet he earned each of his 27 minutes and could be in line for more run going forward.
A trio of early triples from Jaylin Stewart helped the Huskies nab a quick 14-5 lead and they never trailed. It kept feeling like the Golden Eagles would crawl back into the game, but their self-inflicted wounds prevented them from doing so. Every missed free throw felt like a dagger to the heart for the packed crowd, especially as UConn’s offense stalled too.
Ball drilled a few threes to extend the lead to double-digits and they slowly extended it to 20 over the course of the half. The Huskies slipped up and allowed Marquette to cut the hole to just 13 before the break, a momentum swing that threatened to put Connecticut in danger.
6 consecutive points from the home side appeared to support that momentum shift until Ball and Hassan Diarra connected on shots to calm things down. The contest teetered on back and forth action, with Marquette in striking distance of a tight game and UConn a few runs away from a blowout.
Instead of either of those happening, each team held strong for the remainder of the game. The Huskies have been victim to letting their leads crumble in no time, but that didn’t happen. They showed a tremendous amount of poise in responding to punches from their opponent, especially courtesy of Ball. They haven’t closed out a signature win like that since 2024, a sign of good things to come.
Looking broadly, this game is a huge positive. The number of potential signature wins ahead of Connecticut are small, with a road game vs St. John’s as the lone away top 25 matchup. This is by far their best win–their only one against a currently ranked opponent–and eases the pressure going into a home game vs the Red Storm and a trip to Creighton.
It’s especially encouraging to do without Liam McNeeley, who came into the day as a game time decision. He’s on the verge of a return and completes the team. Ross and Stewart have made serious strides while overtaking the minutes McNeeley hasn’t occupied and will each be more ready to pitch in than they were at the beginning of the year.
The win isn’t everything, but it’s a lot. It creates confidence that this team is not destined for a first round exit, but that they can make noise in March. Their chance to continue doing so comes at home against St. John’s, this Friday at 8 p.m..
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
