The Huskies have now won seven straight over the Friars dating back to 2023.
No. 4 UConn has once again survived a scare at Providence.
The Huskies had to rally out of an early 13-point hole on Wednesday night, but they pulled off a 103-98 overtime win against the Friars at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. That gave the Huskies their 11th straight win and kept them perfect in Big East play so far this season.
Providence erupted near the end of the first half to completely take control of the contest. They mounted a long 21-4 run and took a 3-point lead just before halftime, though Solo Ball drilled a 3-pointer with about 30 seconds left to cut the deficit back to 10 at the break. Providence went 7-of-12 from behind the arc as a group in the first 20 minutes, too.
Though the Huskies didn’t go away, they couldn’t close the gap. Providence repeatedly responded after every little run the Huskies mounted. The Friars even went up by 11 points after a fast break layup from Ryan Mela with about three minutes left in the game, but the Huskies responded with seven quick points in less than a minute. Alex Karaban then hit a floater in the middle of the lane with just more than 90 seconds left to cap the 9-0 run and get them back within a single possession, forcing a Providence timeout.
Though Karaban and Jaylin Sellers traded deep 3-pointers, it was Tarris Reed that eventually secured a putback that forced overtime at the end of regulation.
Finally, it was Braylon Mullins who lifted UConn back in control of the game. Mullins hit a deep shot from the corner to give the Huskies their first lead of the game since the early minutes, and then he drilled a 3-pointer to help spark a 10-3 run that eventually secured the five-point win.
Ryan Mela led the Friars with 19 points off the bench, and Jamier Jones finished with 18 points after he went 6-of-9 from the field. Providence ended up shooting 14-of-24 from behind the arc as a group. Providence was looking for its first win over the Huskies since 2023. The loss dropped the Friars to 8-7 on the season, and marked their third in four games to start Big East play.
Mullins led the Huskies with 24 points on six 3-pointers. He was one of four Huskies players who dropped at least 20 points in the win, and all five of their starters hit double figures. Karaban added 23 points, and Silas Demary Jr. had 23 points and 15 assists.
The Huskies now sit at 15-1 on the season, and are a perfect 5-0 in conference play already. Their lone loss came against Arizona back in mid-November, and they’ve been perfect ever since.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
Category: General Sports
