No. 4 UConn once again survived a scare in Providence.
The Huskies had to fight back from a 13-point deficit early on Wednesday night, but they defeated the Friars 103-98 in overtime at Amica Mutual Pavilion. That puts the Huskies on an 11-game winning streak and keeps them perfect in Big East play so far this season.
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As the first half came to a close, Providence exploded and took complete control of the game. They went on a 21-4 run to take a 3-point lead before halftime, but Solobauer hit a three-pointer with 30 seconds left to narrow the gap to 10 points. Providence shot 7 of 12 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.
While the Huskies weren’t gone, they couldn’t close the gap. Providence kept responding after every Huskies run. The Friars even took an 11-point lead on Ryan Meira’s fast-break layup with about three minutes left, but the Huskies scored seven quick points in less than a minute. Alex Karaban then hit a floater in the middle of the lane with just over 90 seconds left to cap a 9-0 run and bring the team back within one possession and force a Providence timeout.
Although Karaban and Jaylin Sellers exchanged 3-pointers, Talis Reed eventually pulled one back to force overtime at the end of regulation.
Ultimately, Braylon Mullins helped UConn regain control of the game. Mullins hit a long shot from the corner to give the Huskies their first lead since the opening minutes. He then hit a three-pointer to help the team go on a 10-3 run and ultimately seal the victory with a five-point advantage.
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Ryan Mela, who came off the bench, scored a team-high 19 points, and Jamier Jones scored 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Providence ended up shooting 14-for-24 from beyond the arc. Providence is looking for its first win against the Huskies since 2023. The loss moved the Friars to 8-7 on the season and was their third in four games in Big East play.
Mullins hit six 3-pointers and scored 24 points to lead the Huskies. He was one of four players for the Huskies to give up at least 20 points in the win, and all five of their starters scored in double figures. Karaban scored 23 points and Silas Demary Jr. had 23 points and 15 assists.
The Huskies are currently 15-1 on the season and have gone a perfect 5-0 in conference play. Their only loss came against Arizona in mid-November, and they’ve been perfect ever since.
This article will be updated soon with more information.
