BOSTON - UConn wasted no time setting the tone Friday night, jumping in front in the opening minute and never giving it back in an 85-77 win over No. 16 Michigan at the TNT Sports Hall of Fame Series Boston presented by Amica.
The No. 4 Huskies improved to 2-0 and added another Boston win to the ledger, making it four straight at TD Garden since 2024. The matchup also doubled as a rematch of the 2026 national title game, and UConn handled it with a balanced attack, a physical edge at the line and enough perimeter defense to keep Michigan from ever fully flipping the script.
Braylon Mullins paced the Huskies with 23 points, while Silas Demary Jr. added 21 and did a little bit of everything else. It was the first time UConn has had two 20-point scorers in the same game since Jan.
7, 2026. Demary Jr. also finished with seven rebounds and a game-high four assists without a turnover, earning Hall of Fame Series Boston Game MVP honors for the second straight season.
Colben Landrew gave UConn a major lift off the bench, scoring 14 points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds in 23 minutes. The Huskies also took full advantage at the free throw line, going 30-of-36 in a game that had plenty of contact.
That was UConn’s most made free throws in a game since Jan. 31, 2023.
Michigan got 22 points from Trey McKenney, all in the second half, while J.P. Estrella and Roddy Gayle Jr. each finished with 18.
But the Wolverines never found consistent answers against UConn’s defense, especially on the perimeter. Demary Jr. helped bottle up 2026 Final Four MOP Elliot Cadeau, who finished with eight points on 3-of-11 shooting and five turnovers.
Michigan shot just 25.0 percent from three and coughed it up 14 times.
UConn’s start was sharp and immediate. Michigan scored first, but Mullins answered with a three to ignite a 7-0 run. After the Wolverines tied it with five straight, Mullins buried another triple to put the Huskies ahead 10-7 and force a timeout at 15:32 of the first half.
The lead kept growing from there. Demary Jr. knocked down a transition three midway through the half to push UConn in front 23-16 with 9:16 left before halftime.
Then, with 2:12 remaining in the period and the Huskies up four, they closed on a 9-0 burst. Landrew scored seven of those points and finished the half with a transition three that sent UConn into the break up 43-30.
Demary Jr. already had 17 points by halftime, while Mullins and Landrew each had nine.
UConn stretched the margin even further early in the second half when Jayden Ross hit a pair of threes to make it 52-34 with 16:22 to play. Michigan later took advantage of a six-plus minute field goal drought and some foul trouble for the Huskies, and McKenney’s three cut the lead to 64-55 before a UConn timeout with 9:09 left.
The Wolverines got a brief spark after that, but UConn answered right back. A Na’jai Hines put-back slam and a Nik Khamenia three pushed the margin back to 69-55, and from there the Huskies absorbed every push Michigan made. The Wolverines never got within single digits again until the final minute.
The numbers backed up the result. UConn shot 23-of-55 from the field, 9-of-22 from deep and 30-of-36 at the line.
Michigan finished 26-of-63 overall and 7-of-28 from three. The Huskies also won the turnover battle by two, outscored the Wolverines 16-11 off miscues and held an 18-8 edge in bench points.
Their six steals, including two each from Demary Jr. and Oskar Giltay, helped fuel a 12-9 advantage in transition.
The win moved UConn to 3-3 all-time against Michigan in a series that dates to 1939. It also marked the 11th time since 1996 that a title game rematch came in the following regular season; the team that lost the title game before the rematch is now 5-6.
A few more notes from the night: UConn has now won its last four games in Boston. Landrew has scored in double figures off the bench in each of his first two games.
Mullins has opened the season with back-to-back 20-point outings, giving him five 20-point games in his career and his first consecutive 20-plus scoring games. Demary Jr. now has eight career games with 20 or more points, and through two games this season he has 12 assists without a turnover.
Since the start of 2022-23, UConn is now 27-5 in high-major vs. high-major non-conference games, 59-7 in all non-conference games, 36-7 in neutral site games, 67-22 away from home and 33-14 against AP Top-25 ranked foes.
The Huskies are 2-0 for the eighth time in nine seasons under Dan Hurley.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Silas Demary Jr. Just Changed How UConn Fans See Michigan
UConns 85-77 win over Michigan at TD Garden had the kind of feel that can linger beyond one November night, especially with Silas Demary Jr. giving the Huskies a steady, composed performance in a game that mattered for more than just the box score. He scored 21 points and helped UConn build a strong halftime cushion, the sort of early control that let the Huskies dictate the tone before Michigan could fully settle in.
Braylon Mullins led UConn with 23 points, and even after Michigan made a late push, the Huskies had enough to hold firm. The bigger takeaway for UConn fans may be how this matchup looked from here, because the result offered a fresh lens on a program that had given them plenty of reasons to stay alert, and this one added a new wrinkle to that conversation. [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 🡒]