University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
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Texas
4-1,0-0Big 12
CHAMPS! No. 5 UConn Takes Down No. 15 Texas In Empire Classic Final
11/20/2023 10:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK – The No. 5 UConn men's basketball team (5-0) took home the 2023 Saatva Empire Classic title with an 81-71 victory over No. 15 Texas (4-1) on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The win marked UConn's 11th trophy won at MSG and the second-straight season it has won its in-season multi-team event (MTE).
Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) led the Huskies with 20 points in the win, coming up with several clutch buckets down the stretch. He was supported in double-figures by Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) who finished with 16 and Samson Johnson (Lome, Togo) who notched career-highs with 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
Tristen Newton (El Paso, Texas) finished with eight points and eight assists, earning Saatva Empire Classic MVP honors after averaging 15.5 points, 7.0 assists and 7.5 rebounds over the two UConn wins. Hassan Diarra (Queens, N.Y.) also had a big game for UConn off the bench with eight points, six rebounds and two assists.
How it Happened
UConn burst out of the gates strong, with five early points from Karaban sparking a 9-2 run to open the contest and force an early Texas timeout. The Huskies continued their early hot shooting, getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Spencer and Karaban that pushed the first half lead to 24-11 midway through the half and forced another timeout.
UConn's sharp shooting from deep cooled over the rest of the first half, but 11 points from Johnson in the opening stanza helped the Huskies to a 46-33 halftime advantage. Texas pulled as close as six early in the second half – but the Huskies counter-punched and pushed the lead back to 10 at 64-54 before a stoppage midway through the second frame that heard a 'U-C-O-N-N' chant ringing through The Garden.
UConn would push its lead to as many as 14 in the second half, but a 7-0 run for Texas forced a Husky timeout with 5:46 to play and Connecticut leading 71-64. A 3-pointer after the stop pushed the run to 10-0 before Karaban stopped the bleeding with a pair of clutch buckets that stretched the lead back to eight at 75-67.
The Connecticut defense ramped up in the waning minutes of regulation, not allowing a point for over 3:30 of game action in the the final minutes. With a minute to play and the shot clock expiring, Karaban came through again with a basket to give the Huskies a 77-69 lead they would not relent.
Inside The Numbers
- UConn shot 47.5 percent from the floor compared to a 45.2 percent mark for the Longhorns
- The Huskies finished +12 on the glass, out-rebounding the Longhorns 41-29
- The UConn bench out-scored the Texas reserves 23-14
News and Notes
- Johnson's career-high 15 points topped his previous high mark of 11 set in the season opener and his eight rebounds also marked a new career-best
- UConn improves to 7-3 all-time against Texas
- The Huskies are now 13-3 in MTE play under Dan Hurley
- The win was UConn's first over a ranked opponent this season
Up Next
The Huskies are back in action for a Black Friday match-up on Nov. 24, welcoming Manhattan to the XL Center. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. on FS1.
