With 8:22 remaining in the second half, junior forward Alex Karaban slipped a pass into the hands of Tarris Reed Jr., who threw down an emphatic one-handed slam. It was a continuation of what had been a slow-burning blowout for the No. 9 Connecticut men’s basketball team in their first matchup versus Georgetown this year. But then the water almost completely shut off.
UConn’s 23 point lead became 15 and then 15 became single-digits into the closing moments of the contest. The Huskies looked poised for a resounding breakout victory, their first since romping Maryland Eastern Shore in November, but again couldn’t keep their foot on their opponent’s throat. Aside from the singular field goal UConn scored after the Reed Jr. dunk, the energy seemed to drain from the team as the shot clock violations piled up and the points didn’t. But it was still a victory.
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After losing a heartbreaker to Villanova on Wednesday, winning felt good, no matter how it looked. They were outrebounded and hardly recorded more assists than the Hoyas, but there were points where they looked more like themselves. And that’s what ultimately allowed the Huskies to create the separation they needed to win.
Karaban scored a team-high 19 points on just 10 shots, hitting 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. He also added 6 boards and 4 assists, a generally complete game that felt like a bounce-back performance. Karaban missed the final two free throws that would have won the Huskies the Villanova and was blamed broadly online for the loss. Not just winning, but being the driving factor behind the win, has to feel good for the two time national champion.
Secondary guard Solo Ball, a DMV-native, showed a good deal of aggression on Saturday, helping him total 15 points on 12 shots. He’s done well to get his buckets from a variety of spots around the court, finding success in the midrange along with the three.
A Husky who played very well was Jayden Ross, also from the DMV. The sophomore started on Wednesday and added very little production but provided a great spark off the bench against the Hoyas. Whether it was an acrobatic layup, a three or an alley oop slam, Ross brought the energy and made each of his field goals count.
It was also notable that freshman guard Ahmad Nowell got some run. He managed 4 points in 9 minutes, taking the pressure off Hassan Diarra and Aidan Mahaney, neither of whom had amazing games. Nowell had some teaching moments like a turnover that led to a dunk on the other end, but it’s easy to see his growth as the game progressed, with a few timely shots.
The Hoyas started the game off hot, jumping out to an early 13-7 advantage. Not long after, Connecticut answered with 10 straight points, with no more than 3 points from any given Husky. Though it didn’t feel so monumental at the time, that run was the last time UConn trailed in the game.
Throughout the rest of the first half, there was a nice push and pull with the lead teetering between 2 and 9. Ultimately it settled at 4 heading into the locker room after Georgetown scored the final 5 points.
The start of the second half was not pretty for the home side, mustering up just two points in the first 5+ minutes. In that span the Huskies ballooned the lead out to 19, which later became 23 with the Reed Jr. dunk. Then came the painful end that the game, but it did end and Connecticut did win by 8.
The way the matinee ended is a part of the game, but it shouldn’t completely color the way it’s viewed. The Huskies played a very impressive start to the second half against a talented Georgetown team. Things are moving in the right direction and the wings are showing sparks.
UConn goes back home now and gets to take a breather, with a week off until they take on Creighton next Saturday. The Bluejays have been bipolar this year, beating then No. 1 Kansas, but also getting blown out by Georgetown. It should be a good game.
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