Alex Karaban Cements His Legacy as UConn Grinds Out Gritty Win Over Georgetown
On a night when UConn honored one of its giants from the past, another Husky added his name to the history books in dramatic fashion.
While Hasheem Thabeet was being inducted into the Huskies of Honor at halftime - becoming the 24th player to receive that recognition - it was Alex Karaban who stole the spotlight by night’s end. With UConn’s 79-75 win over Georgetown, Karaban notched his 116th career victory in a Huskies uniform, setting a new program record.
He also made his 136th start, another school-best. And fittingly, he was the one who delivered the game-sealing free throws - just seconds after nearly giving the game away.
This one wasn’t easy. UConn, now 24-2 overall and 14-1 in Big East play, had to scratch and claw to put away a Georgetown team that refused to fold. The Hoyas (13-12, 5-9) hung tough all night, answering every Husky surge with one of their own and pushing the sixth-ranked team in the country to the brink.
UConn led 41-33 at the break and stretched the lead to 49-35 early in the second half, but Georgetown stormed back in under three minutes to cut the deficit in half. From there, it was a back-and-forth grind. Every time the Huskies built a cushion, the Hoyas punched right back.
In the final minute, things got wild.
Silas Demary Jr. hit a free throw with 33 seconds left to make it 77-70. That should’ve been enough.
But then KJ Lewis drilled a three and drew a foul on Tarris Reed Jr., converting the rare four-point play to slice the lead to 77-74 with 24 seconds left. Suddenly, the game was back on.
Then came the moment Karaban probably won’t forget - and not in a good way. With 14 seconds left and no timeouts, he turned the ball over on the inbound pass, handing Georgetown a golden opportunity.
The Hoyas called timeout, drew up a play, and nearly pulled off the upset. But Braylon Mullins fouled Kayvaun Mulready before he could get a shot off, sending him to the line for two.
Mulready hit the first, missed the second, and Karaban was there for the rebound. Fouled immediately, he stepped to the line and calmly knocked down both free throws to finally put the game on ice. It was a full-circle moment - from near goat to hero in a matter of seconds - and a fitting capstone to a record-breaking night.
Karaban finished with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep, in a game-high 38 minutes. He was steady, efficient, and - when it mattered most - clutch.
Solo Ball led the Huskies with 20 points, while Demary flirted with a triple-double: 15 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. He also went 9-for-10 at the line, a crucial stat in a tight game. Freshmen Braylon Mullins and Eric Reibe each chipped in 10 points, showing once again that UConn’s depth is as real as its top-end talent.
For Georgetown, Lewis was spectacular. He poured in a game-high 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting and pulled down nine boards. Vincent Iwuchukwu added 16 points and Mulready scored 15, helping the Hoyas push UConn to the limit.
The win pushed UConn to a perfect 12-0 record against Georgetown under Dan Hurley, but this one was far from a walk in the park. Just like the first meeting - a nail-biting 64-62 win in D.C. back on Jan. 17 - the Hoyas made the Huskies earn every inch.
Karaban’s Climb to the Top
Karaban’s 116 career wins now stand alone atop the UConn record books, passing the mark set just last season by Samson Johnson, who won two national titles in three years alongside Karaban. He also broke Jake Voskuhl’s longstanding record for most starts in a Huskies uniform.
And here’s the kicker: among active players at high-major programs, no one has played more games at a single school than Karaban. That kind of consistency, durability, and success doesn’t just happen - it’s earned, day by day, game by game.
Saturday night in Storrs wasn’t just another win. It was a celebration of the Huskies’ past, a showcase of their present, and a reminder that Alex Karaban’s name now belongs in the same breath as the legends who came before him.