University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
4-0,0-0Big East
BYU
3-1,0-0Big 12
#3 UConn Outlasts #7 BYU In Top-10 Thriller In Boston
11/15/2025 10:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BOSTON – The No. 3 UConn men's basketball team (4-0) went up big early and held on late, knocking off No. 7 BYU by a score of 86-84 on Saturday night at the Amica Insurance Hall of Fame Series Boston at the TD Garden. The top-10 win came in UConn's first significant test of the season behind 21 points apiece from Silas Demary Jr., Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr.
For the game the Huskies shot a blistering 56.6 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from 3-point range. UConn went up 16 in the first half and led 59-39 early in the second, before a late charge from the Cougars got them within a possession in the final minutes. Demary Jr. hit a slew of clutch baskets and free throws in the final three minutes and came up with a crucial steal in the final 30 seconds to help seal the win. He was named MVP of the Hall of Fame Series Boston, adding a game-high seven assists, five rebounds and two steals to his 21 points.
Karaban, playing mere miles away from his hometown of Southborough, Mass., was an efficient 8-of-11 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range to finish with his 21 points and added three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Reed Jr. was 8-of-10 from the field with a game-high eight rebounds and two blocks to go with his 21. Jayden Ross was the fourth Husky in double-figures, scoring 10 points and hitting a pair fo 3-pointers in 12 minutes as a reserve. For BYU, frosh phenom AJ Dybansta rebounded from a quiet first half to lead all scorers with 25 points and snared a team-high six rebounds.
How it Happened
The Cougars scored the first four points of the game as UConn founds its footing before Reed Jr. got Connecticut on the board with a bucket inside. The teams traded early baskets until the Huskies ramped it up midway through the first. A Demary Jr. 3-pointer in transition forced a BYU timeout at 9:55 with the Huskies up 19-12. After the stoppage, Demary Jr. connected on a put-back, then Reed Jr. hit from Demary inside before a Karaban 3-point play. That made it a 10-0 kill-shot and a 14-2 overall run, putting the Huskies up 26-12 at 8:51 of the opening stanza.
Another triple from Karaban ahead of the U-8 timeout at 7:57 gave the Huskies their largest lead of the night at 29-14. Late in the frame BYU used an 8-2 mini-run to pull back within single digits for the first time since UConn's early run and the Huskies called for time with 56.6 to play in the first up 38-29. The run was quicky spurned by a Karaban triple after the stoppage and UConn took a 43-32 lead to the break. Demary Jr., Karaban and Reed Jr. all scored in double-figures over the opening 20.
Reed Jr. started the second half with back-to-back buckets to push the lead back to 15. Minutes later Karaban connected on a deep triple, and after a BYU three answer Ross cashed in again from downtown to prompt a BYU timeout at 16:10 with UConn up 55-39.
Midway through the first the pace began to slow to a slog, and BYU took advantage and battle back from as many as 20 down with a slew from the line to cobble together a 7-0 run and pull back within 12. Ross stopped the run at 9:54 of the second with a jumper inside to give UConn a 64-50 edge. Minutes later, a Karaban 3-pointer and Jaylin Stewart jam put the Huskies up 71-55 with 7:46 to play.
Another 7-0 run – coming entirely from the free throw line – got BYU within single digits at 71-62 with 6:45 to play. Reed Jr. stemmed the run briefly with a slam, but the Cougars kept coming and extended the run to 13-2 and cut the lead to 73-68 inside of five to play.
Within UConn clinging to a five point lead, Demary Jr. got downhill and connected on a driving lay-in through traffic before a pair of Solo Ball free throws put the Huskies up 79-70 with 3:13 to play. At 1:29, Demary Jr. hit again on a tough mid-range jumper that gave the Huskies an 81-74 edge.
Up three with under 30 ticks remaining it was again Demary Jr. who stepped up and hit two from the line to make it 84-79 in favor of Connecticut ahead of a timeout with 25.8 to play. A heaved 3-pointer from BYU connected on the next trip to slim the margin to two, closest since the opening minutes of the first half. Up three in the final moments, Demary Jr. came up with a steal that led to a Ball free throw to put the Huskies up 86-82 with 6.1 seconds left. The Cougars hit a jumper on their final trip before time expired and the Huskies held on.
Inside The Numbers
- Connecticut finished the day shooting 56.6 percent (30-53) from the field and 44.4 percent (8-18) from three, while Brigham Young shot 49.2 percent (29-59) overall and 30.8 percent (8-26) from downtown
- UConn held BYU to an 0-of-10 start from three before a hit at 1:05 of the first half
- The Huskies shot 57.1 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from deep in the first half, holding BYU to 37.9 and 16.7 marks in the opening 20
- The Huskies finished with 21 assists on 30 field goals, compared to seven on 29 for BYU
- The Cougars did not record their first assist until 2:15 to play in the first
- UConn out-assisted BYU 13-3 in the first half
- Demary Jr. had seven assists against one turnover
- UConn is second in the nation in opponents A/FGM% at 28.9
- BYU held a slim 28-27 edge on the glass and was +2 in turnover margin
- Nearly every specialty state was even: points off turnovers went to UConn 16-15, paint went 42-40 to the Huskies, fast break 8-7 Connecticut, second chance points were 16-0 Cougars and bench scoring favored BYU 22-13
News and Notes
- UConn is now 2-0 all-time against BYU, with the lone prior meeting coming in the First Round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament
- The Huskies are 9-1 in their last 10 contests between top-10 teams
- UConn is 24-10 against ranked foes since the start of 2022-23, the most such wins and best winning percentage (among teams with at least 10 games) in that span
- Karaban posted his second game of 20+ this season and the 17th of his career
- Reed Jr. also had his second 20-point game of the season and sixth of his career
- It was the 75th time in 115 career games Karaban scored in double-figures
- With his 21 points on Saturday, Karaban now has 1,426 in his career to move into a tie with Emeka Okafor for 23rd in UConn history
- Ross has now posted consecutive double-figure scoring games for the first time in his career and has hit double-figures as many times this season (2) as his first two years in Storrs combined
What's Next
The Huskies return to the friendly confines of Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday, Nov. 19 to welcome No. 5 Arizona to Storrs.
