Silas Demary Jr. didn’t just help UConn beat Michigan on Friday night. He quieted the kind of questions that can linger after a championship loss.
Back on April 6, Demary walked off the floor after the Huskies fell 69-63 to Michigan in the national title game with the sort of baggage that sticks with a player. He played only 21 minutes, scored two points, dealt with foul trouble and, by the source’s account, was playing injured before fouling out. The “what if” list practically wrote itself.
At TD Garden, in the headline game of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Series, Demary gave a very different answer. No.
4 UConn beat No. 16 Michigan 85-77, and Demary looked like the senior leader the Huskies needed, steering an offense packed with sophomores and freshmen around him.
He finished with 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting, plus seven rebounds and four assists. Braylon Mullins matched the moment with a game-high 23 points, while freshman Colben Landrew made the most of extended run, scoring 14 points and pulling down eight rebounds in 23 minutes.
The game was physical from the jump, with officials calling 48 fouls overall and 22 on UConn. Demary, though, stayed clear of the trouble that haunted him in April and kept the Huskies organized through a choppy night.
UConn was also helped by the kind of burst that can turn a “neutral-site” game into something much louder. The Huskies were already getting the home-team treatment in Boston, just 85 miles from Gampel Pavilion, but the crowd didn’t fully come alive until Dan Hurley let his frustration show after a foul on Landrew with UConn leading 32-27 and 4:54 left in the half.
That sequence mattered. Between the foul on Landrew and a technical on UConn, Michigan got four free throws and made only one. The crowd fed off Hurley’s reaction, and UConn rode that energy to an 11-2 run to close the half and a 43-30 lead at the break.
The final minutes, though, offered a reminder that things can change fast.
Mullins missed a dunk that could have blown the roof off the building and seemed to land awkwardly on the play. He was fouled, went to the line while visibly limping, and knocked down both free throws to push UConn ahead 83-68 with just under two minutes left. He left briefly before returning.
Mullins had missed much of summer practice and preseason action while recovering from an undisclosed injury, and the closing stretch underscored how fragile this new chemistry can be. UConn led by 15 with 1:54 remaining but finished with an eight-point win. The Huskies didn’t make a field goal over the final 5:38, getting all 10 of their last points at the line, while Michigan closed on a 9-2 run after Mullins’ free throws.
For Demary, though, the night served its purpose. The old questions were there. This time, he had the game to answer them.
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UConn Passed An Early Test In A Game That Got Heated
UConn got an early-season measuring stick at TD Garden and handled it with enough poise to leave with an 85-77 win over Michigan in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series. The Huskies had balanced scoring and a steady edge for much of the night, with Braylon Mullins pouring in 23 points and Silas Demary Jr. adding 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists as UConn kept control even as the game tightened.
The tone shifted at times as the matchup turned chippy, with technical fouls and foul trouble adding some edge to a game that already carried plenty of weight for both programs. Michigan made a second-half push and briefly threatened to turn it into a finish under pressure, but UConn never fully lost its grip, a useful sign for a team still sorting out its identity in the opening stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Just Sent An Early Message Against Michigan
No. 4 UConns trip to the Naismith Hall of Fame Series at TD Garden offered an early-season measuring stick, and the Huskies handled it with the sort of edge that tends to travel. Against No. 16 Michigan, UConn stayed in front for the duration and walked away with an 85-77 win, getting a strong all-around effort from Silas Demary Jr. and a big scoring night from Braylon Mullins.
The game had the feel of a November heavyweight bout, with foul trouble and a few heated stretches adding some bite to the matchup. UConn never let Michigan fully settle in, and the Huskies ability to keep control even as the game got choppy is the kind of detail that will matter as the schedule gets tougher and the stakes climb. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Faces A Brutal Spotlight In Belichicks New England Return
Bill Belichicks second college season has brought a noticeable uptick at North Carolina, where the Tar Heels have settled into a 4-4 record and are leaning on quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. along with defensive standouts Xavier Lewis and Derek McDonald. Now the spotlight shifts to Rentschler Field, where UConn gets a chance to measure itself against a program still finding its footing under one of footballs most recognizable coaches.
For Jason Candles Huskies, the matchup is about more than the name on the other sideline. UConn will turn to dual-threat quarterback Kalieb Osborne while trying to handle a balanced North Carolina offense, and the game offers another proving ground for a team still searching for a breakthrough against top-level competition. [Read more 🡒]