Rapid Recap: Huskies win big in opening matchup against Pioneers
For Coach Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies, things have started off hot in Storrs, as the Huskies cruised to a 56-92 win over the Sacred Heart Pioneers at Gampel Pavilion.
On a night that began with Banner Night and the oozing excitement of a brand-new season, there was plenty to talk about even before tipoff, but once things tipped off, all eyes were on the court. The team rolled with an opening-day lineup of Solo Ball, Aidan Mahaney, Liam McNeeley, Alex Karaban, and Samson Johnson with players like Hassan Diarra fueling the bench unit. Early on, the Pioneers were able to keep things close thanks to the shooting of Mekhi Connor, who gave his team some life thanks to his play from beyond the arc. Nonetheless, that did little to deter the confidence of Connecticut, who had plenty of weapons of their own.
No one shined more in the first half than veteran Alex Karaban, who was strong on both ends of the floor and kept his team together with the leadership his squad desperately needed. The box score certainly reflected that, showcasing the Massachusetts native’s 13 points, 5 assists, 5 blocks, and +14 +/-.
At the same time, it wasn’t just Karaban who got the Huskies going and who was more fitting to join him on the top scorers than Solo Ball. The sophomore guard has had plenty of hype coming out of camp for what’s expected to be a massive jump in year two. If Ball’s 18 points against URI didn’t give fans enough excitement, then perhaps his 11-point first half in the team’s win over the Pioneers should confirm that.
Last, but certainly not least, it was Liam McNeeley who was red hot from beyond the arc with 12 points and a pair of important triples to keep his team’s confidence going into the half.
Safe to say there was plenty of reason for fans to be all smiles as the team went into the half up 46-31.
That excitement was solidified, as the squad simply didn’t take their foot off the gas and their 15-point halftime lead ballooned to over 30 in the contest. One of the pivotal keys to that second half surge was Tarris Reed Jr., who dropped 13 points and 9 rebounds in the last 20 minutes alone to capitalize on the Huskies dominant victory.
There were plenty of stats to point to their dominance, such as their 22 fastbreak points or their notable dominance on the boards with 14 offensive rebounds to Sacred Heart’s 6.
While the team did struggle from three at a 33% mark in the second half after shooting 50% in the first half, their dominance in other areas of the floor more than made up for it. Karaban continued to cook in the second half with 20 points to go along with an efg% of 106, which led all scorers on Wednesday.
It may not have started off hot, but as time progressed, this team truly came together and walked away with an impressive result on the scoreboard. After just game one, there’s already plenty of excitement about what this team could truly become.