The Huskies claim their first win of conference play after a shaky first half.
In a game that featured 11 ties and 22 lead changes, the UConn men’s basketball team pulled out a gritty 94-89 win Wednesday over the Xavier Musketeers in overtime.
UConn has historically struggled in its Big East openers going back two decades. This is the team’s first win in a conference opener at home in over 20 years, and just the second win on Big East opening night in Dan Hurley’s seven seasons at the helm.
Both teams entered the game 8-3, but they’ve trended differently in the young season. The Huskies came into the game having won four straight, most recently a 77-71 win over then-ranked No. 8 Gonzaga. Meanwhile, Xavier has lost three of its last five prior to the matchup.
To make matters worse, the Musketeers were without one of their most productive players, Zach Freemantle. After posting 16.9 ppg and 7.7 rpg through the team’s first 11 games, the graduate forward injured his knee Dec. 14 against Cincinnati and has been ruled out indefinitely.
The opening half was one to forget for the Huskies, who posted a season-low 29 points in the first 20 minutes. After shooting just 5-24 from three against Gonzaga at MSG, the Huskies’ 3-point struggles followed them all the way to the XL Center. They shot 3-12 from beyond the arc in the first half, including zero for their first seven attempts.
But the Huskies did lead early, and they did so by doing all the little things right. They defended well, played with energy, limited turnovers and moved the ball well offensively. Yet, as their fundamentals began to slip, so did their lead. A 12-0 run by the Musketeers, aided by a nearly seven-minute scoring drought from the UConn offense, saw Xavier take its first lead late in the half. Going into the locker room, UConn trailed 30-29.
From the way the second half played out, any fan watch watching could tell a good finish was brewing. Xavier’s offense kept its foot on the gas pedal, distributing the ball well and finding scoring from all of its potential options. They scored efficiently in the half — shooting 14-20 (70%) from the floor and 8-10 (80%) from three, keeping up with a regenerated UConn offense that put up 49 points in the latter 20 minutes. After scoring zero points in the first half, Liam McNeeley led the way for UConn with 10 points in the second frame.
With 35 seconds left in the second half, a 3-point attempt from Xavier’s Dante Maddox Jr. found the bottom of the net, tying the game at 76. After foul calls on each side brought the score to 78 points each, Ball had a chance to steal the win for the Huskies. The guard let a three fly as the buzzer sounded, but it rimmed out. Forty minutes would not be enough to decide the winner.
In overtime, Alex Karaban gave the Huskies the push they needed. He scored seven points in the extra frame, adding on a game-sealing block. The Huskies took the lead early in overtime and never looked back, eventually taking the game 94-89.
The top performers for UConn showed out on both sides of the ball, with three Huskies scoring at least 20 points in the win. Ball contributed 22 points and four steals, both career-high marks. Karaban, coming off a sluggish 8-point performance against Gonzaga, bounced back with 20 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Tarris Reed Jr., who started in place of an injured Samson Johnson, had 20 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and two steals. Hassan Diarra stuffed the sheet with 12 points and 11 assists for his first career double-double.
In the wake of Freemantle’s injury, offensive production for Xavier came all throughout the roster. Four different Musketeers finished with at least 15 points, Ryan Conwell (23), Maddox (season-high 22), Dayvion McKnight (18) and Marcus Foster (15). Xavier shot 63% from three in regulation and finished the night shooting 54 percent from the perimeter on 24 attempts.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t enough to take down the Huskies. UConn extends its win streak to five games, now officially 1-0 in conference play. They’ll hit the road next, traveling to Butler to battle the Bulldogs Saturday Dec. 21 at noon.