Balanced effort helps No. 5 UConn oust Villanova
The last time the No. 5 UConn men’s basketball team lost consecutive games, everything was spiraling for the Huskies during their winless disaster in Maui. We’re 15 months removed from the week that defined a tumultuous 2024-2025 campaign and even after Saturday, Connecticut hasn’t lost two straight since.
Indoors on a mild evening in South Philly, Connecticut steadied the ship with a strong 73-63 win over Villanova. Earlier in the week, UConn was upset by Creighton, a squad they’d previously beaten by 27. The veteran Husky team wasn’t going to let losing become a habit.
No individual Husky was terrific, but efforts from an array of players helped them secure the victory. This was especially true on defense. While Connecticut didn’t force many turnovers (8), they held Villanova to 41% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc.
“I feel like coach was really challenging us, especially after that [Creighton] loss,” center Tarris Reed Jr. said of the defense. “Watching the film from that game, we had to do a lot more to protect the rim. Guys were getting downhill with ease and we took that as a challenge. We responded pretty well today.”
Nova’s leading scorer, Tyler Perkins, did his part with 15 points, but the rest of their major contributors were stifled. Bryce Lindsay and Duke Brennan combined for 16 points, while freshman phenom Acaden Lewis scored 11 but was held scoreless in the final half.
For the Huskies, six different players scored between eight and 12 points. It wasn’t pure domination from the start–things were close in the first half until they gradually wore their hosts down. UConn maintained a steady offensive performance, going 55% from the field and 32% from deep.
The area where the Huskies were most dominant was on the boards, outrebounding Villanova by 13. At the heart of that effort was Reed, who had six of the squad’s 37.
After scoring UConn’s first four points, Reed had considerable trouble, looking frustrated throughout the opening frame. The senior picked up a pair of fouls, limiting his first half playing time to just 10 minutes.
In his stead, Eric Reibe had a strong half, not overwhelming the stat sheet, but making positive plays on both ends of the floor.
Coming out of the locker room, Reed looked like a completely different man. He was confident and a monster on defense, finishing with three blocks. Reed ultimately collected 11 points, six boards and three assists on perfect 5/5 shooting from the floor. It was far from a perfect performance, but his momentum coming out of this game is encouraging.
Also effective was Alex Karaban, who scored a team-high 12 points, along with five rebounds and two blocks. He had a well-rounded performance and made his typical winning plays in key spots. Karaban was largely ineffective against the Bluejays and Hurley referred to him postgame as moving like a “cargo ship,” so seeing him return to form is big for the Huskies.
“I felt a lot better today,” Karaban noted. “I felt refreshed and rested. I’m going to play no matter what, but I felt good.”
Hurley agreed with Karaban’s assessment.
“He felt better today,” Hurley observed. “I called him a cargo ship [Wednesday], he was pissed about that. But he did not move well the other night. Playing less minutes in that game helped him today and he’s feeling better in general.”
Braylon Mullins was playing solid basketball into the early second half but was forced to the bench when he picked up his third foul. After that stretch, Mullins never found a flow, ultimately fouling out late. He finished with 10 points.
Even though he managed four points, forward Jayden Ross might have been the most impactful Husky Saturday night. He didn’t record a steal, but the junior was everywhere on defense, providing lockdown coverage consistently. Ross’ +16 plus/minus was a team-high, with Jaylin Stewart’s +9 as the second-best.
“[He was] a big time spark for us,” Karaban said of Ross. “We really played off of his defensive energy in the first half when we were struggling to get stops and he came in and did what he does best. He provides so much the way he’s able to shoot the three and defend. He’s a special player and he’s gaining more and more confidence every day. We need him if we want to achieve our goals.”
The team’s depth was impressive Saturday, with the reserves adding several positive plays. In a season where the depth has lacked consistency, it was a major part of the winning push.
One key issue for the Huskies was their turnovers, with Silas Demary Jr. committing seven of the team’s 14. It wasn’t a bad game for the junior point guard, but he was loose with the ball at times.
“That was bad,” Hurley repeated a few times with a laugh. “I think they’re so avoidable for him. They’re a little bit casual. Every dribble you take as a guard, you’ve got to change angles, you’ve got to change the cadence of your angles, change speeds. When you watch an NBA game, the best players don’t turn the ball over. They get shots every time down the court. It would suck if this team didn’t get to its potential because we turn the ball over too much.”
The Wildcats started the game off on a heater, converting on four of their first six tries from the field. Despite Villanova’s persistence on offense, the Huskies kept pace. In the first half neither side extended their lead beyond five.
Connecticut used a Mullins triple to power a 7-0 run towards the end of the half, but Lewis built on his strong frame to make it a two-point Husky lead.
A quick start to the second period helped UConn extend their lead into double figures, the largest advantage either of either team at that point. Braden Pierce’s poster slam gave the Wildcats some life and a Matt Hodge three cut their deficit to eight.
But Connecticut showed their poise, responding with seven unanswered points. They added even more insult to injury with an ensuing 6-0 run that stretched the advantage to 21 points. The Wildcats dug out of their hole in garbage time, ultimately netting a 10-point defeat.
“We played elite level defense and we were sharp on offense when we got shots on goal,” Hurley said. “We rebounded the ball well, we guarded, we played offense at a high level and our depth kicked in. That’s kind of like bulletproof basketball right there.”
After Saturday, the Huskies currently sit in second place in the Big East. Despite starting 12-0 in conference, they’ve dropped two of their last five. On Saturday afternoon, the NCAA Selection Committee also released their initial top 16 seeds. Connecticut was the No. 5 overall seed and landed in the South region. There’s still plenty of time for that to change.
The Huskies return home to face St. John’s this Wednesday, their most difficult opponent left on the schedule. The game also marks UConn’s best chance to jump back atop the Big East.
“This was a playoff game for us,” Hurley said. “ A must-win game. The first of four must-win games to end the regular season.”
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