🎥 UConn MBB Postgame Media Availability (Purdue)
UConn men’s basketball had no trouble with Purdue, winning their third and final exhibition game, 76-53, at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.
Braylon Mullins started for his first live action of the year, delivering a solid 24 minutes and dishing four first-half assists as he finished with seven points and went 3-for-9 from the field.
Jayden Ross was the leading scorer in the first half and Colben Landrew, playing off the bench for the first time, popped off in the second half as the Huskies maintained control from the early going. They led by 10 halfway through the first half and nearly pushed it to 20 before getting as high as 30 in the second half.
After a slow start, down 5-0, two Ross threes put the Huskies ahead as their defense was tight from the start. Oskar Giltay entered the game about three minutes in and hit two straight buckets to begin the separation.
Giltay posted a team-high +/- of 26 along with Nik Khamenia. A Landrew lay-up and three Ross free throws pushed the lead to 10 with 10:59 left in the first half after a 7-0 run.
Na’jai Hines got the early hook after a foul that head coach Dan Hurley later said was avoidable, and got his second foul about a minute later. A Mullins mid-range pushed the lead to 14 before a Silas Demary Jr. steal-and-score, followed by a nice finish from Hines in the post, completed another 7-0 run to make it 31-13 with 3:28 left.
Purdue was not hitting much early, missing its first 11 three-point attempts, making just one in the first 20 minutes. The Boilermakers were stifled by UConn’s length and athleticism, and didn’t have enough answers for the Huskies’ offensive firepower.
Ross finished the first half with 11 points as they took a 35-20 lead into the break. The senior totaled 13 on the night while Giltay added 12 on 5-of-6 shooting with four rebounds.
Landrew finished with a team-high 15 after scoring 11 straight UConn points in the second half, hitting two threes as he finished 6-for-10 from the field in 18 minutes. His driving mid-range jumper made it 53-31 with 11:57 remaining.
The freshman displayed an impressive combination of size, strength, and skill, drawing comparisons to Caron Butler from former UConn assistant and GM Tom Moore on the broadcast. Moore also offered honest commentary about Hines’ need to be more disciplined defensively with his hands and positioning.
A Mullins three made it 63-39 for his fifth point of the half before the Huskies started drawing some field goals to keep their buffer.
A Khamenia three made it 71-45 before Giltay added a basket and two free throws to push the lead to 30 with 3:27 left. Hurley got the starters out from there. With two minutes left, he went deep into the rotation to close it out.
On the night, UConn held Purdue to just 32 percent shooting from the field and 2-of-25 from three (8.0%), while forcing 13 turnovers with nine steals and four blocks.
The Husky defense has been the consistent calling card of the team, with Hurley pointing to excellence on the perimeter from this group in particular.
Khamenia grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds as the Huskies controlled the glass in the first half. They weren’t as strong in the second half as they went deeper into the rotation. Nils Machowski and Junior County each saw 15 minutes off the bench.
The Huskies also registered an assist on 18 of 25 made field goals. Demary Jr. led the way with five assists alongside a 10-point effort with four steals.
Despite the foul trouble, Hines still showed off his offensive prowess with some nice finishes and two assists as well. He ended the night with nine points and six rebounds in 18 minutes.
Next up, the Huskies host Gardner-Webb in their regular-season opener. That game will tip off at 9 p.m. from PeoplesBank Arena after the women’s team hosts Cornell at 5 p.m. for its season opener. The games will be broadcast on NBC Sports and Peacock.
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