UConn survives overtime thriller versus Providence, winning 103-98
Following a comfortable 73-57 win, the No. 4 UConn men’s basketball team returned to action this past Wednesday night. The Huskies made the trip down to the Amica Mutual Pavilion (AMP) for a road matchup against the Providence Friars. After a roller-coaster contest with so many twists and turns that took years off any viewer’s life, Connecticut held on for a narrow 103-98 win.
The Huskies received positive news before tipoff on Wednesday: the full 15-man roster was available for action. Jayden Ross suited up after missing the program’s past two contests, nursing a hamstring injury.
Despite the narrow big win, the Huskies struggled to get out of the gate early. It was Solo Ball who made the most prominent impact in the game’s dawning moments. Whether it was hitting an early three, running in transition, or poking a ball loose, the junior guard logged solid first-half minutes, coming away with eight points for his troubles.
For much of the first half, it seemed as though this contest was destined to be a low-scoring affair, with buckets seldom coming by. However, at the eight-minute mark, it started to rain at the AMP.
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Alex Karaban started the three-point barrage, nailing a three from way downtown. The two-time national champion went into the half with nine points on a trio of threes. Despite Karaban’s solid first half, the Friars had an answer. Stefan Vaaks answered, nailing a difficult triple. Connecticut had no answer for the freshman; Vaaks finished with eight first-half points.
Braylon Mullins lit up the scoreboard for the Huskies, hitting numerous difficult shots. The freshman has been excellent on both sides of the ball, playing stout defense and creating offense with a quick first step and an even quicker jump shot. Mullins logged 11 points in 17 minutes of play.
However, in the last six minutes of play, Providence could do no wrong, and the Huskies kept coming up empty, with Connecticut looking the worst they have all season long.
Corey Floyd Jr. had 12 points on 4-5 shooting. The threes came from everywhere for the Friars. Jason Edwards finished the half with a pair of threes, and Jamier Jones had one of his own. It was pouring at the AMP; Providence finished the half shooting nearly 59% from the field, and 58% from beyond the arc. While the Huskies did finish with a similar clip from downtown, they were much less efficient from the field. Connecticut failed to attempt a single free throw, a testament to the hard time that Providence’s defense gave UConn.
The Friars ended the first half on an unbelievable 21-7 scoring run, giving them a dominant 47-37 lead at the break.
UConn did not get off to an ideal start in the second half. Dan Hurley was assessed a technical foul at the end of the first half, and Jaylin Sellers was sent to the charity stripe for the Friars, missing the front end but making the second.
The Huskies needed an answer to Providence’s attack, and quickly. This contest was not far from getting away from Connecticut, yet Tarris Reed Jr. put together a crucial stretch and a first-half performance, bringing the Huskies to under double digits. The Michigan transfer went nuclear, scoring 14 points on perfect 5-5 shooting. Reed showed considerable grit to put an unideal first half behind him, putting UConn on his back when they needed it most.
Silas Demary Jr. also put together an excellent final 20 minutes, and his impact wasn’t just felt on the scoreboard. The Georgia transfer did a fantastic job crashing the boards, fighting for second-chance points and finishing with seven assists. Demary also hit numerous clutch threes when Connecticut held on by a thread, finishing the second half with 14 points on 4-6 shooting, completing the double-double. Demary was quick to credit his teammates postgame, which allowed him to have the game that he did.
“I think there was a time where I was just struggling,” Demary said. “AK and T Reed, we just had a conversation talking about there is a time where we need you, and I think this was just a game where I had to step up, and they gave me the confidence the whole game.”
These performances allowed the Huskies to cut the deficit to just single digits. However, the Friars kept trying to bury the Huskies. Ryan Mela put up 14 points on 4-6 shooting. Duncan Powell put together a clutch eight-point flurry for the Friars when they needed it most.
Providence led by 11 points with just over three minutes to go. The Huskies were nearing thin; yet it was the captain, Karaban, who gave UConn life when they needed it most.
The redshirt senior went off for the Huskies, putting up 14 points on 5-11 shooting, including a massive three with less than a minute left to put UConn within a possession.
After a Reed layup, the clock ran out, and somehow this contest went into overtime. The momentum was with the Huskies, and this contest quickly became their game to lose after climbing the mountain towards survival. While Providence immediately put immense pressure on the Huskies, the combination of Mullins and Demary became too much for the Friars to handle. Demary put the game on ice with an excellent midrange jump shot, and the Huskies secured a 103-98 win. Postgame, Karaban was quick to tell the media that he believes renewed defensive intensity allowed the Huskies to secure the victory.
“Defense. We had a lot more energy defensively,” Karaban told the media. “Our first half defense was really bad. Second half defense, we miscommunicated on a bunch of stuff. I think we dialed it up defensively. We played with more force on the offensive end, we attacked the glass better, and we started to play with that identity that we’ve been established to play at over practices.”
Wednesday night was as hard-fought a win as the Huskies have come away with all season long. This contest felt lost at times, but UConn demonstrated championship grit, refusing to give up when victory seemed unlikely. This win at Providence was far from perfect, yet the program showed a championship grit and a scary ability to turn it on at any moment.
Connecticut returns to action this Saturday, hosting DePaul in Hartford, Conn.
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