UConn started its 2026-2027 campaign with an exhibition win over Syracuse at Mohegan Sun Arena, 72-52. The Husky newcomers helped them set the tone as the Orange played their first game under new head coach Gerry McNamara.
Braylon Mullins didn’t play, and Stanford transfer Oskar Giltay started at center. The rest of the starting lineup included seniors Silas Demary Jr. and Jayden Ross, along with freshman Colben Landrew and sophomore Duke transfer Nik Khamenia. Najai Hines came off the bench to lead UConn with 17 points while Khamenia added 12.
Syracuse was up 4-1 in the early going before a Khamenia three-pointer tied the game. The Huskies mounted a 9-2 run to go up 13-6 thanks to Hines. The big man entered the game three minutes in and quickly made his presence felt, with a putback and an alley-oop from Ross during that run.
Ross hit the bench early after getting his second foul at the 18:46 mark. Hurley went to Nils Machowski, and later sent in Junior County off the bench for Landrew. UConn missed seven shots in a row over a scoreless stretch that went 2:42, allowing Syracuse to tie the game at 13 after a 7-0 run.
Both teams stayed scoreless as the Huskies missed another three shots before a driving basket by Demary Jr. stopped the cold streak. A Khamenia three made it 18-13 with 6:15 left in the first half.
Hines went 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, on possessions separated by a UConn offensive rebound, to reach seven points on the day and make it 21-13.
Former Real Madrid player Egor Amosov checked in and quickly hit a three to make it 26-18. The Orange hit two straight threes and got an easy bucket after a blocked shot to tie the game at 26. A Demary Jr. three and a Machowski tip-in at the buzzer made it 31-26 at the break.
The Huskies maintained their buffer across the second half, as an early Khamenia three started a 10-2 run that had them up 11, as Hines and Landrew showed off their scoring abilities. Around the 12-minute mark, third center Elmir Dzafic got some time.
The Husky starters and main rotation players kept the intensity up. A couple of Junior County threes pushed their lead before a Hines lay-in made it 57-40 with 7:50 left. Landrew and Ross delivered highlight plays as the UConn lead swelled, while Demary did a good job of getting to the line.
Hurley kept his core starters and rotation players in even as the lead reached 21 points following a Ross lay-up. At the U-4 time-out with 3:28 left, the Huskies’ scoring leaders sat for good, with Hines (17), Khamenia (12), and Demary Jr. (13) calling it a day. County finished with nine points, all scored in the second half.
Jacob Ross and Jaye Nash entered the game with around two minutes left, with Isaiah Stewart shortly behind them. In total, 13 players saw action on this night.
Next up, the Huskies are on the road to face Michigan State in their second of three exhibitions, on October 20th at 7 p.m. in a game that will be televised on Big Ten Plus.
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