No. 4 UConn caps off 2025 with 90-67 win over Musketeers
Following a 10-day layover, thanks to the winter holidays, the UConn men’s basketball team returned to action this past Wednesday for a road matchup against the Xavier Musketeers. The Huskies improved to 3-0 in Big East play with a dominant 90-67 win over Xavier.
The first half was sheer dominance for Connecticut. The Huskies’ defense was firing on all cylinders, forcing turnovers, bad shots, and winning the war on the boards.
Not only did Xavier fail to sink a three-pointer all half, but the Huskies had multiple shot-makers who put their Big East rivals in a difficult position. Alex Karaban led the way for UConn, accumulating 13 points on 5-9 shooting, also coming away with five rebounds. Solo Ball continued a solid stretch of shooting into Wednesday night, scoring nine points in 15 minutes of work.
Braylon Mullins, who has started his past four games after missing the first six contests with an ankle injury, nailed a pair of three-pointers early on. While Mullins only came away with six first-half points, he gave UConn everything they needed. Despite the Musketeers’ going on a 6-0 run to close out the first half, Connecticut still led 43-28 at the break.
Mullins was far from done making his impact felt on New Year’s Eve, putting on an excellent 11-point second half, nailing three shots from beyond the arc. Wednesday night was encouraging for Mullins, who has only gotten better as he has gotten healthier. Postgame, despite the excellent performance, head coach Dan Hurley told the media he believes that Mullins has more in the tank and will only impact the game in more ways.
“[Mullins] hasn’t even started hanging on the rim yet,” Hurley said. “At some point, he’s going to be on the receiving end of the lob. He’s a very unique player. And he’s way ahead of things from a defensive standpoint. He’s very sturdy, tough and competitive, and he can guard. He can score at all three levels, and the guy can really pass. We’re very fortunate to have him at UConn. We’ve got a lottery pick-level player that’s just getting going right now.”
Hurley giving Mullins a “lottery pick-level player” distinction is not as far-fetched as one may believe. The freshman missed significant time; despite this, he has put up excellent performances against blue-chip competition, stepped into high-pressure situations, and made shots when the Huskies needed them most. As the season progresses and Connecticut faces stiffer competition, they will need their talented freshman to fire on all cylinders. While Mullins has passed the eye test and performed excellently to this point, he notes that he still has some minor recovery to do.
“I feel like I’m trying to get my fluency back, my legs back,” Mullins said. “I had a setback dunking, with the ankle,” adding, “We’re going to try to figure that out.”
Despite the good feelings for Connecticut, ball security has been a slight issue for the Huskies, and it played a role in Xavier adjusting in the second half, allowing Malik Messina-Moore to get loose. The senior guard was a thorn in UConn’s side, finishing with 12 second-half points, including on a pair of makes from beyond the arc. Filip Borovicanin also put together a much more complete half, scoring nine points in 16 minutes. Not only this, but the forward was a menace in the paint, finishing with seven rebounds. Despite these much-needed signs of life, whether it was Ball’s eight-point second half or Karaban carrying over his solid first half, the Huskies always had scorers to rely on. The program never faced a significant scoring drought; they never let the contest get out of hand, which is why UConn emerged victorious, 90-67.
Wednesday was the perfect way for the Huskies to close out 2025. The program is not only projected as an early No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, but has looked the part, dominated stiff competition, and will only get better from here on out. The ceiling of this season’s UConn team has not been reached, and when it does, it could mean more banners.
UConn kicks off the new year this Sunday at Gampel Pavilion for a 2:00 p.m. matchup against the Marquette Golden Eagles, a game the Huskies are heavily favored to win and continue their dominance.
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