The UConn men’s basketball team had just enough to beat Villanova, prevailing in overtime, 75-67, behind 24 points from Solo Ball and a heroic second-half effort from Alex Karaban.
Karaban finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, but did not score his first basket of the game until the halfway mark of the second frame. He went on to shoot 4-5 from the floor and 8-9 from the free-throw line between the second half and overtime, capping one of his best stretches of the season.
The Huskies limped out
of the gate, quickly staring down an 8-0 deficit as Villanova controlled the glass. Silas Demary Jr. got the team on the board with a layup off a nice pass from Tarris Reed Jr. in the paint. The bucket ignited the Huskies’ first run of the game, as nine consecutive points put UConn ahead, albeit for only a short time.
The Huskies were getting good looks, especially Ball, who worked off ball screens to create open looks, but could not find net despite the open looks. UConn shot just a tick over 33% from the floor through the first 15 minutes, including 1-6 from beyond the arc. None struggled more than Karaban, who entered halftime without a bucket.
Villanova, on the other hand, barraged UConn from the outside. The Wildcats shot a high-volume 6-15 from distance in the first half, led by Devin Askew with eight points off the bench.
With under five to play in the half, a designed play for Ball set the lefty up with an open look, connecting for just the second time on a three in 16 attempts dating back to Jan. 10 against DePaul. His 10 points in the first half kept the Huskies close, but an otherwise stifling defense held UConn to just 27 first-half points. Coming off a game where Villanova held Georgetown to just 51 points, the Wildcats pressured the ball-handler well, fought through tough off-ball screens, and kept UConn’s offense out of rhythm as it tried to run its sets. At the break, Villanova led by four.
The Huskies wasted no time drawing even out of the locker room. A three-pointer from Ball put the Huskies within one possession, and Braylon Mullins joined in with a triple to tie it. Mullins, not long after, took a swipe to the head on defense and had to be gingerly assisted to the locker room. He was visibly woozy and later ruled out, though he would return to the bench sometime after.
UConn would sorely miss Mullins’ presence as the game continued to sour. Ball saw more good looks but could not convert from range. Dan Hurley picked up his second technical foul of the season. The Huskies went almost four minutes without a basket, and the Wildcats’ lead grew to six with 15 to play.
A big break came UConn’s way when Villanova’s Duke Brennan exited with his third foul. He had kept Reed and the Huskies quiet on the interior, but his absence prompted a quick 9-0 run as UConn took its first lead since it jumped ahead 9-8 early.
Karaban, at last, came to life when the Huskies needed him most, scoring 12 points in a six-minute span to keep UConn ahead down the stretch.
With under two to play and UConn just holding on by one, a costly Reed travel turned the ball over to Villanova. A set play off an inbound found an open Matt Hodge, who drained his fourth three of the night to put the Wildcats up two. Reed redeemed his error with a tip-in off a Demary layup to bring the score even at 61 with 40 seconds to play.
UConn stood on its head defensively to set up a potential game-winner. Jayden Ross locked up Bryce Lindsay, swatting away an attempted three before a jump ball yielded possession back to the Huskies. The ensuing play never materialized, Karaban had the ball stolen, and regulation ended deadlocked at 61.
Dramatics continued in the extra frame as the two teams continued to battle back and forth. Reed fouled out on a questionable shove call, but Ball and Karaban carried the offense in the waning minutes. Leading by two, the Huskies held possession with under 60 seconds. Demary marched down the lane and laid it in to extend the lead to double digits, and UConn rode out the sketchy win in crunch time on the heels of an 8-0 run.
Ball finished just shy of his season-high in points with 24. Karaban’s 17 points all came late in the second half and in overtime. Reed, despite fouling out, finished with a double-double, while Demary scored 10, dished seven assists, and swiped three steals. Another shaky night for Dan Hurley and his team, but the Huskies nonetheless improve to 19-1 overall and 9-0 in the Big East, now 7-1 on the season in games decided within five points.
UConn will remain at home but shift back to Gampel for its next game, taking on Providence at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27.
