UConn had to navigate Friday night without Nik Khamenia, and the fourth-ranked Huskies answered the test with a convincing 84-68 win over Ohio State at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.
Braylon Mullins set the tone early and never really let go. After a rough shooting night Monday, he got back to work on the Gampel Pavilion floor, spending at least an hour getting shots up from all over the court.
The extra reps showed up in a big way against the Buckeyes. Mullins drilled five 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 22 points.
Silas Demary Jr. and Na’jai Hines both spent much of the first half dealing with foul trouble, limited to seven minutes before halftime. Once the second half started, though, both took over.
Hines missed only one shot from the field and scored 17 of his career-high 20 points after the break. Demary finished one assist short of a double-double, piling up 10 points, nine assists, two rebounds and two steals.
Freshman Colben Landrew stepped into his first career regular-season start in Khamenia’s place and delivered 12 points and four rebounds. Khamenia sat on the bench with his left foot in a boot as UConn improved to 4-0.
The Huskies shot 61% overall and went 9-for-19 from 3-point range. They also tightened up defensively after halftime, holding Ohio State to 40% shooting after the Buckeyes had hit 58.3% of their attempts in the first half.
UConn came out firing. Demary helped get the offense rolling by finding both freshmen, Landrew and Junior County, from deep. Mullins knocked down his first 3-pointer just 13 seconds into the game, then buried two more in the span of a minute as the Huskies surged ahead 25-13.
Even when Demary and Hines had to sit with two fouls apiece, UConn kept enough pressure on Ohio State to protect the lead. As the Buckeyes chipped away, Landrew and Mullins answered with back-to-back three-point plays at the rim to keep the margin steady.
The loudest moment of the first half came when Mullins tried to recreate his 35-foot shot, this time from the opposite side of the floor, and missed. Egor Amosov grabbed the offensive rebound, raced to the corner and launched a prayer that beat the shot clock buzzer, sending Hurley and the home crowd into a frenzy.
Ohio State still had a response. The Buckeyes ripped off a 13-1 run, taking advantage of a wave of turnovers while Demary and Hines were on the bench, and pulled within two at the half, 42-40.
Justin Pippen, the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, opened the second half with a 3-pointer to give Ohio State its first lead. Jimmie Williams kept the pressure on UConn with his scoring and work on the offensive glass, pouring in 11 of the Buckeyes’ first 16 points after the break and finishing with 17 points.
John Mobley Jr. added 16 for Ohio State, but UConn had the sharper finish. The Huskies made seven straight shots from the field and rebuilt the lead to eight on a Demary floater around the 12-minute mark. Hines then pushed it into double digits with a pair of baskets inside, including a three-point play, during a 14-2 run that forced an Ohio State timeout after the Buckeyes went more than three minutes without a made shot.
Hines delivered the final dagger with a shot-clock beater from just inside the 3-point line, helping UConn stretch the lead to 80-63 with 2:30 left and putting the game out of reach.
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UConn Win Over Ohio State Came With One Bigger Worry
UConns 84-68 win over Ohio State had the kind of familiar feel the Huskies like, with a game plan that echoed what the womens team has been doing and enough production from the perimeter to keep the Buckeyes at arms length. Braylon Mullins led the way with 22 points, Najai Hines added 20, and for much of the night the result looked like another clean early-season step forward for a team still settling into its identity.
The bigger concern came in the middle of all that success, when Mullins had to leave briefly because of a left knee issue before coming back without any obvious limp. UConn is already working around the absence of Nik Khamenia, and the Huskies will be watching closely to see whether Mullins scare turns into anything more than a short-term interruption in an otherwise encouraging win. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Showed Something Bigger Than A 4-0 Start Against Ohio State
UConns 84-68 win over Ohio State in Hartford did more than keep the Huskies unbeaten at 4-0. It showed a team getting real production from multiple places, with Braylon Mullins leading the way on 22 points, Najai Hines adding 20 and Silas Demary Jr. filling the box score with 10 points and nine assists. Ohio State had answers of its own from Jimmie Williams and John Mobley Jr., but UConns balance and pace were enough to separate.
What stood out most was how the Huskies handled the game when it started to tighten. Even with key contributors having to navigate foul trouble in the first half, UConn found enough depth and poise to keep control, and the second half brought the kind of response that can matter later in the season. For a team still early in its schedule, this was the sort of win that says a hot start is nice, but there may be something sturdier underneath it. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Faces A Real Test Against JMU In Two Crucial Areas
Saturdays matchup at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field carries a little more weight than a typical November date, with James Madison coming in for a meeting that should tell UConn plenty about where it stands. The Huskies have spent the week getting ready for a game that comes with the usual layers of records, player numbers and broadcast attention, but also the kind of familiar opponent history that can make a midseason test feel bigger than it looks on paper.
Jason Candle said UConn has been preparing for the Dukes with the same focus it would bring to any important conference-style challenge, and the details around James Madison only sharpen the intrigue. The injury picture on the Dukes side adds another wrinkle, and with the series history between the programs in the background, this one has the feel of a game where a few key matchups could decide whether UConn leaves with a statement or another reminder of how thin the margin can be. [Read more 🡒]