UConn Overcomes Sloppy Start, Handles DePaul Behind Karaban’s 21 and Reed’s Double-Double
No Solo Ball? No problem. At least, not for long.
With their leading scorer sidelined, UConn leaned on its depth, experience, and a second-half surge to take care of business in Chicago, beating DePaul 72-54 at Wintrust Arena on Sunday night. The win pushes the fifth-ranked Huskies to 12-1 on the season and 2-0 in Big East play as they head into a brief holiday break.
This one didn’t start pretty. The Huskies looked out of sync early, missing 13 of their first 16 shots and coughing up the ball in a turnover-fest that saw both teams combine for 15 giveaways in the first 10 minutes. DePaul took advantage, jumping out to a 15-7 lead while UConn searched for rhythm without Ball, who sat out with a minor left wrist injury suffered in Tuesday’s win over Butler.
But it didn’t take long for UConn to settle in-and when they did, they looked like the deep, balanced team that’s become a problem for the rest of the Big East.
Tarris Reed Jr. was the catalyst. The big man went to work in the paint, muscling through contact for a tough finish that sparked UConn’s offense. He was a force all night, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks-his second double-double of the season and arguably his most complete performance in a Huskies uniform.
Silas Demary Jr. flirted with a triple-double yet again, stuffing the stat sheet with 13 points, eight assists, and seven boards. His fingerprints were all over the game-whether tipping a pass to set up a Jaylin Stewart dunk, knocking down a timely three, or pushing the pace to keep DePaul on their heels.
And then there was Alex Karaban-cool, composed, and quietly lethal. The junior forward matched his season-high with 21 points, shooting a scorching 4-for-4 in the first half and finishing 3-of-4 from deep overall. He gave UConn the scoring punch they needed with Ball out, hitting a late first-half three that gave the Huskies some breathing room heading into the break.
Even with nine turnovers leading to 16 DePaul points in the first half, UConn took a 34-31 lead into the locker room. And once they came out, the Huskies put their foot on the gas.
Karaban stayed hot, hitting two quick buckets and another three to start the second half. On one sequence, even his lone miss turned into a highlight-his shot was blocked, but Stewart scooped it up and flipped in a smooth reverse layup.
The Huskies’ defense tightened up, holding DePaul to just 31% shooting in the second half and 3-of-13 from beyond the arc for the game. UConn dominated the glass, 40-28, and used second-chance points to stretch the lead. Reed’s putback layup around the eight-minute mark pushed the margin to 17, and though DePaul trimmed it to 10, UConn never lost control.
Braylon Mullins stepped in late with the dagger-back-to-back threes in the final two minutes that pushed the lead to 18 and sealed the win.
It wasn’t flawless, and head coach Dan Hurley is still waiting for his team to find that elusive “killer instinct” to close out games with authority. But this was another reminder of how dangerous UConn can be, even when they’re not at full strength.
With Karaban leading the scoring, Reed anchoring the paint, and Demary running the show, the Huskies showed once again why they’re built to weather adversity-and why they’re a serious threat to make another deep run come March.