No. 4 UConn had to absorb Ohio State’s push in Hartford before finally putting the Buckeyes away, turning a tight first half into an 84-68 win that moved the Huskies to 4-0 on the season.
The game opened with UConn looking in control. A 9-0 burst helped the Huskies build a 26-13 lead with 10:55 left in the first half, and they pushed the margin to 14 after Egor Amosov drilled a 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer. With 4:19 remaining before halftime, UConn was up 41-27 and appeared on its way to a comfortable night.
Ohio State, though, didn’t fold. The Buckeyes took advantage of foul trouble that sent Silas Demary Jr., Na’jai Hines and Braylon Mullins to the bench with two fouls each.
UConn went scoreless from the field the rest of the half, and Ohio State answered with a 10-0 run. Oskar Giltay hit one free throw to slow the momentum, then John Mobley Jr. buried a 3-pointer with six seconds left to pull the Buckeyes within 42-40 at the break.
The Buckeyes carried that surge into the second half. Justin Pippen opened the period with a 3-pointer to give Ohio State its first lead of the night, and another from him put the Buckeyes up two before the under-16 timeout.
But Mullins quickly flipped the game back. The sophomore knocked down back-to-back baskets for five points and sent UConn back in front for good.
From there, the Huskies started to separate. With Demary Jr. and Hines back on the floor, UConn went on a 14-2 run and tightened up defensively, holding Ohio State to eight points over an eight-minute stretch between the under-16 and under-eight timeouts. Mullins’ fifth and final 3-pointer of the night pushed the lead to 16 with 7:05 remaining, and the outcome was all but sealed.
Hines finished the job inside. He scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half and added three rebounds and two blocks, using his size and strength to wear down the Buckeyes front line. His jumper with 47 seconds left gave UConn its largest lead at 18.
Mullins led all scorers with 22 points and bounced back after a rough Monday night against Wagner, when he went 1-9 from deep. Against Ohio State, he hit 5-9 from 3-point range and logged a career-high 32 minutes. Demary Jr. finished with 10 points, nine assists and two rebounds in 24 minutes after dealing with first-half foul trouble.
Colben Landrew started in place of Nik Khamenia, who was out with a foot injury, and the freshman added 12 points to round out UConn’s double-digit scorers. For Ohio State, senior Jimmie Williams scored 17 points off the bench, and Mobley added 16.
UConn now heads to Tucson to face No. 12 Arizona on Wednesday, Nov.
- FS1 will televise the game, with tipoff set for 9:00 p.m.
ET.
In Other News...
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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 🡒]