UConn Basketball handles DePaul at home, winning 72-60
Fresh off a thrilling 103-98 overtime win at Providence, the No. 4 UConn men’s basketball team returned to action this past Saturday. The Huskies were tasked with the DePaul Blue Demons. The Huskies completed the season sweep at home, winning 72-60.
While the Huskies were always in control of the contest, they did not get off to the start they wanted, as missed layups were an early theme. Connecticut didn’t shoot poorly in the first half, though they left some scoring on the table on shots they usually make. While the Huskies built up a quick 10-point lead, they cut it to a two-possession game quickly. However, UConn stormed back, and it started with Braylon Mullins.
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Whether it was making a tough three-pointer that he was fouled on or finishing for an and-1 bucket, Mullins was scoring from all areas of the floor. The freshman guard finished with nine points on 3-6 shooting. Mullins also led the game in rebounds, with four. Postgame, head coach Dan Hurley discussed Mullins’s growth and how good a shooter he is.
“He’s starting to really figure it out, the guy’s an all-around player,” Hurley told the media. “He’s getting comfortable out there. Anytime he can get off a shot, we want him to shoot it.
Alex Karaban also put together a solid first half for Connecticut. Karaban finished with nine points on 4-5 shooting. Silas Demary Jr. also carried over his scoring momentum from Providence to the first half on Saturday, coming away with nine points in 16 minutes of work. Demary also had a moment for the highlight reels on Saturday, nailing a tough buzzer beater three for Connecticut, extending the UConn lead to double digits. Despite the good feelings for UConn, not all was perfect.
Solo Ball did not impact the game like he is used to making, failing to log a shot attempt. The junior guard was getting the rock plenty; however, the DePaul defense always had an answer for him, so Ball passed every time.
While Layden Blocker had a solid nine-point first-half scoring performance for the Blue Demons, the Huskies always had control; UConn went into the locker room up 37-27.
The second half was more of the same for Connecticut: they always had control of the contest. UConn was never at risk of losing this game. While the program initially got off to a slow start, the makes started piling up for UConn.
Ball was noticeably more aggressive as a scorer for the Huskies. On his first attempt, the guard drove hard to the hoop, drew a foul and sank the and-1 layup. The junior guard finished the half with seven points in 15 minutes of work. After the game, Hurley discussed how he thinks that it will be just a matter of time before Ball is back up to speed, due to his recovery from a wrist injury.
“He played that great game right before the wrist [injury], before Christmas. He looked like the Solo from the first 92% of last year, where the guy was shooting crazy, crazy efficiency. He has that great game against Bulter at home, and then he ends up with a left wrist injury that knocks him out of the game, and then he was limited in practice. So we’re trying to get him back in the flow.”
On the other side of things, DePaul struggled to sustain consistent offense. Outside of CJ Gunn’s nine points, Blue Demon scorers failed to carve into the growing deficit. As a team, the Blue Demons hit just one three-pointer with 43 seconds left. Considering that both programs finished with similar three-point lines, these were the separating factors in who “won” the second half.
While UConn did “win” the second half, they only did so by two points. UConn never pulled away from the Blue Demons in the final 20 minutes on Saturday, and a significant reason for that came on the glass. Rebounding was an issue for the entire contest; Connecticut only enjoyed a five-rebound margin. This has been a recurring issue for the program, and postgame Hurley reflected on the ’24 team and how rebounding was the main driver of success.
“The reason why we were where we were in ’24 was because there was a huge offensive rebounding component,” Hurley said. “This team has not shown that dog that wolf mentality when shots go up, they’re going to crash the glass. Cam Spencer was an excellent offensive rebounder. [Stephon] Castle was an excellent offensive rebounder. Tristen Newton was an excellent offensive rebounder on the perimeter… Our perimeter people are not offensive rebounding like they should, and neither is Tarris [Reed Jr.].”
While Connecticut may not be satisfied with how they won Saturday afternoon, the program has been stacking the wins. Saturday marks UConn’s 12th straight win: they truly are in a league of their own in the Big East. However, UConn has a short turnaround and will travel to the Prudential Center this Tuesday for a road showdown against the Seton Hall Pirates.
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