University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
13-2,3-1Big East
Butler
10-5,1-3Big East
No. 4 Huskies Rally For Road Win At Butler
1/5/2024 9:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 4 UConn men's basketball team (13-2, 3-1 BIG EAST) used a big second half to pick up an 88-81 victory over Butler (10-5, 1-3 BIG EAST) on Friday night at a sold-out Hinkle Fieldhouse. Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) led UConn with 20 points in the win, as the Huskies rallied from down seven at halftime to improve to win their third-straight.
In support of Karaban, Tristen Newton (El Paso, Texas) finished with 17 points and five assists and Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) and Stephon Castle (Covington, Ga.) each added 14. Castle also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and dished out four assists.
The Huskies shot over 60 percent in the second half of the comeback win, rallying from down as many as eight and overcoming a strong offensive effort from the homestanding Bulldogs. For BU, DJ Davis led all scorers with 22 points and Pierre Brooks added 19.
How it Happened
The Bulldogs used back-to-back 3-pointers to build an early 15-9 lead, but the Huskies responded quickly with a 7-0 run to take its first lead of the contest. With the Huskies up 23-22 later in the half, Butler used a 9-0 run to take its largest lead of the day at 31-23.
Butler would use that big run to hold a first half lead, keeping the Huskies within three the rest of the opening stanza and taking a 42-35 lead to the break.
The Huskies came out hot in the second half, forcing two turnovers and a miss during a 7-0 run that leveled the score at 46-46 early in the period. Later in the frame, Karaban drilled a deep 3-pointer that gave UConn its largest lead at 54-50.
After the U-8 stoppage, Karaban hit another 3-pointer that gave UConn a 67-60 lead. The Huskies continued to shoot well in the second half and held onto their lead, but Butler continued to keep it close and got within one late. With UConn up 80-76 and under a minute to play, Spencer knocked down a deep 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock to push the lead to three possessions. The effectively iced the contest as the Huskies hit their free throws late to seal the win.
Inside The Numbers
- UConn shot 54.5 percent (30-of-55) from the floor and 38.5 percent (10-26) from 3-point range
- In the second half, Connecticut ratcheted up to 63.0 percent shooting, going 17-of-27 from the floor
- The Huskies won the rebounding battle, 33-24, getting nine from Castle and six from Samson Johnson (Lome, Togo)
- UConn blocked four shots and did not have a shot blocked – in their last two games it has out-blocked opponents 12-1
- After turning the ball over nine times in the first half, UConn limited its giveaways to four in the second stanza
News and Notes
- UConn improved to 8-0 all-time against Butler, including a 4-0 mark at Hinkle Fieldhouse
- The Huskies picked up their second win of the season when trailing at halftime
- Karaban's 20-point effort was his team-high fourth of the season
- Through 60 regular season BIG EAST games, Dan Hurley now owns a 40-20 record (.667)
Up Next
The Huskies are back on the road on Wednesday, Jan. 10 to take on Xavier at the Cintas Center for an 8:30 p.m. tip.
