No. 4 UConn had to work for it, but the Huskies walked out of a title game rematch with a hard-earned 85-77 win over No. 16 Michigan.
Braylon Mullins led the way with 23 points, while Silas Demary Jr. turned in the kind of all-around night that tilts a big game: 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Freshman Colben Landrew gave UConn another boost with 14 points and eight rebounds.
The win pushed UConn to 9-1 against its last 10 Big 10 opponents, and it came with a familiar theme from last April’s title game - Demary Jr. making the biggest plays when the game started to tighten. He also helped hold Elliot Cadeau to seven points on 3-11 shooting, a sharp contrast from Cadeau’s injury-riddled two-point outing in the championship game.
Michigan had the edge in the paint and on the glass, but UConn made the difference from the perimeter and at the line. The Wolverines shot just 6-26 from three, while the Huskies went 30-36 from the free throw stripe.
UConn came out of the gate with a jolt, even after getting dunked on right after the opening tip. Mullins took that personally and answered with six of the Huskies’ first 10 points, showing a level of emotion that stood out early. Michigan never led after that.
Demary Jr. got involved from deep, and UConn’s length on the outside made life miserable for Michigan’s shooters. Cadeau kept the Wolverines hanging around, though, and the whistle made things choppy on both ends. The Huskies’ offense never fully settled in, and foul trouble became part of the story almost immediately.
Mullins’ shooting helped UConn survive an early stretch in which Michigan grabbed five offensive rebounds. The Huskies were already up to 10 team fouls with 7:47 left in the half, but Demary Jr. kept finding answers. He again looked like the safety valve UConn could lean on, just as he did last year in Boston against BYU.
After a UConn technical, Michigan missed one of four free throws, and the crowd in Boston let the moment breathe. UConn still hadn’t created much separation, but that changed late in the half.
Free throws, a Giltay lob and a Landrew three sparked a 9-0 run that sent the Huskies into halftime with a 13-point cushion. Even then, the lead masked an offense that often looked out of rhythm without Demary Jr. bailing it out.
The numbers underneath the lead were less comfortable: six turnovers and 13 fouls, plus Michigan’s edge in second-chance points.
Michigan kept pushing after the break, even with Na’jai Hines and Nik Khamenia in foul trouble. Jayden Ross knocked down two triples to help UConn stretch the margin, and Landrew kept attacking downhill to put pressure on the rim. But once the bigs kept cycling in and out and Landrew picked up his fourth foul, Michigan found a way to trim the gap and quiet the building.
Trey McKenney then hit three straight threes to pull the Wolverines back within single digits, and for a moment the game had real tension again. But once Hines returned and finished a putback, then Khamenia buried a triple, UConn steadied itself.
The Huskies weren’t flawless, and the final score made it look cleaner than it was. UConn handled Michigan’s press, but the game still featured only nine assists on 23 made field goals, along with a losing effort in the interior battle. Still, Michigan never fully got over the hump, and the outcome felt settled with more than three minutes left.
McKenney finished with 22 points to lead Michigan, just one shy of Mullins’ game-high 23. For UConn, the bigger takeaway was Demary Jr. looking like a player in a different gear, and Mullins giving the Huskies the kind of scoring punch that can carry them through a November grind.
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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 🡒]
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 🡒]