UConn continues Big East dominance with 85-58 win at Creighton

The No. 2 UConn men’s basketball team returned to action this past Saturday night, for the first time since a thrilling 87-81 win over Providence. The Huskies made the trip to Omaha for a tough road showing against the Creighton Bluejays. Connecticut got the job done, extending their perfect Big East record to 11-0 with an 85-58 win.

A few hours before tipoff, the Huskies received positive news regarding Braylon Mullins. The freshman guard missed the program’s last game due to being in the concussion protocol, but started on Saturday night for Connecticut. Postgame, the freshman told the media how Friday’s practice helped shape his confidence heading into Saturday night.

“Getting back into practice Friday felt good, felt 100%. Transitioned that into today. Thought I was going to be a little under the wind, trying to get my wind back, but no, we came to play,” Mullins told the media.

UConn started off the contest hot, finding early success from the three point line. Connecticut’s first five field goals all came from beyond the arc, and they came from everyone. However, the first half was a single-digit contest due to Creighton’s ability to similarly hit shots from deep. The Huskies finished from 8-15 in the first 20 minutes while the Bluejays owned a 5-10 first half clip.

Mullins had an encouraging eight-point first half in 16 minutes of work. Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. both also had a solid first half, putting up nine points apiece. While the Huskies had numerous offensive contributors leading the way, Nik Graves lit up the scoreboard for the Bluejays, putting up 13 points on 5-6 shooting. As a result, most of the first half was a single-digit game, with neither side ever extending to a significant advantage. However, this all changed in the last minute and a half.

Creighton failed to make a field goal in the final four minutes of the half, while the Huskies caught fire at the end of the half. Whether it was Ball or Silas Demary Jr., the program had shotmakers when they needed them most; as a result, the Huskies marched into the locker room with a dominating 41-30 lead.

While UConn displayed excellent shot-making early on, the program finished with more than double Creighton’s total, 21-10. The Huskies’ tenacity in the paint ultimately limited the Bluejays’ scoring opportunities while maximizing second-chance points for the Huskies. This was one of the most complete halves all season long for Connecticut, and the program started the second half with significant momentum.

Similar to the first half, the Huskies were making a killing from the three-point line in the game’s final 20 minutes. Very quickly, it became evident that the Bluejays could not sustain Connecticut’s high-powered offense.

Alex Karaban rolled over a solid six-point first half, making crucial shots early in the half to bury Creighton. The redshirt senior finished with nine second half points. However, it was hardly just him lighting up the scoreboard. Mullins also added onto an excellent first half, scoring eight points in 14 minutes of work. Demary added onto a seven point first half, coming away with eight additional points before it was all said and done. As a unit, UConn finished with an excellent 8-16 slash from deep. Creighton started the half 0-11 from downtown, never recording a make.

It seemed like there was a lid on the rim for the Bluejays, as the program went long stretches without any points, including a nearly six-minute stretch where they couldn’t sink a field goal. As a result, the Huskies kept their foot on the gas, winning 85-58 in blowout fashion.