PHILADELPHIA – Alex Karaban played like a man determined to extend his college career on Sunday night.
UConn’s all-time winningest player, he led the Huskies back to the Sweet 16 for the third time in his career with a career-high 27 points in a 73-57 win over fellow blue-blood UCLA at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
It was clear from the start that it was a “Karaban game” when he scored 11 of the team’s first 15 points. And when the Bruins came back to take a lead early in the second half, he answered with 11 of UConn’s first 13 points after halftime. Karaban finished the game 9-for-16 from the field and extended the program’s career 3-point record to 284 with a 4-for-8 mark from deep. His performance followed a 22-point effort in the Huskies’ first round win over No. 15 seed Furman on Friday.
“That’s the reality of it. I definitely don’t want my career to end, so (I’m) doing everything in my power to help lead this team… Do anything possible to make sure I get the win. Whether it’s my night or someone else’s night, help, contribute, and lead. It’s a motivating factor for myself,” Karaban said. “I ultimately came back here to win. Every time I’ve had a decision to come back, I came back just wanting to win and help this team out, but also just enjoying every second I have in a UConn jersey.”
Karaban is looking to become the first non-UCLA player to win three national championships over a span of four years. That quest continues on Friday, when the program makes its 20th all-time appearance in the Sweet 16 and third under coach Dan Hurley.
UConn, the No. 2 seed now 31-5 on the year, will meet No. 3 seed Michigan State in Washington D.C. for a 9:45 p.m. tip-off on Friday.
UCLA, the No. 7 seed, finished its season 24-12.
Karaban’s effort was supported by 17 points from freshman Braylon Mullins, who made a pair of triples on six attempts, and 11 from Jayden Ross, who left a major mark on the game with nine-consecutive points to maintain the lead at the end of the first half.
Tarris Reed Jr. followed his historic 31-point, 17-rebound performance in the first round with 10 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks on Sunday.
And Silas Demary Jr. returned from his high ankle sprain on a 20-minute restriction, which he went slightly over. He finished a team-best plus-22 with two points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 22 minutes.
“Obviously, we were fortunate that maybe their best player (Tyler Bilodeau, knee) doesn’t play in the game and we get Silas back… This game was all about Tarris’ workman-like performance. Braylon stepping up with a big-time performance as a freshman in a big spot and just the greatness of the man next to me (Karaban),” Hurley said. “This man’s greatness and what he’s done in college basketball for four years… No one’s been better in college sports the last four years in terms of being a winner. So, thank you, Alex.”
UCLA kept up with Karaban early as UConn had a slew of unforced turnovers and everyone not named Karaban started the game 0-for-9 from the field.
Demary came off the bench with 14:15 left in the first half, but the next few minutes were quiet on both sides until Bruins’ bigs Eric Dailey Jr. (12 points) and Xavier Booker (13 points) finished a pair inside.
Karaban ended the Huskies’ drought with his second 3-pointer of the night before Smith finished a tough basket inside and Ross went on a rampage.
The junior nailed a 3-pointer through contact and added a second to give UConn its first lead of the game, 23-21, before he was fouled on another 3-point attempt the very next time down the court. His three free throws gave him nine points in a row with Reed and Solo Ball on the bench, each with two fouls. Riding the momentum Ross built at both ends of the court, the team made seven consecutive shots from the field after a 4-for-16 start.
“Jayden has been on a great trajectory. I think he’s been around 25 minutes a game recently quite a bit. Today, he would have been 25, 27, maybe even higher if he doesn’t get in foul trouble. We were struggling defensively. He came in and changed that,” Hurley said. “The 3 was huge and the free throws, but this team needs his athleticism on the court, his size, and you just see a player that’s really, really developing, coming into his own right now, especially with Jaylin Stewart out.”
Stewart, out since Feb. 21 with knee inflammation, dressed and took part in pregame warmups, but it was never a part of the plan for him to get into the game: “We wanted him to just go through pre-game warmups as part of the process of being ready next week,” Hurley said. “But he’s going to be able to get multiple days of practice and he’ll be back in the mix.”
After Karaban picked up his second foul, it was Mullins who found his stroke from 3-point range after starting his first NCAA Tournament run with 11 straight misses from 3. He nailed a pair in the final three minutes of the half and sent the Huskies into the break with a 38-33 lead.
“It felt great just seeing the ball go through the hoop and it just gives you confidence,” Mullins said. He was inspired by Karaban’s performance. “Just knowing that he will do anything for us, we’ve got to do anything for him. Because we don’t want to see him go out disappointed. He’s our guy, he’s our captain, he’s our leader. And he’s going to take us as far as we need to go.”
UCLA came out of the break on a 9-2 run to regain the lead, but Karaban attacked the basket to start a 14-0 run. He saw his third and fourth 3-pointers fall with 10:41 to go, giving the Huskies a 12-point advantage. But just as UConn looked like it might run away with the game, Dailey breathed life into the Bruins with a pair of three-point plays. An 8-0 UCLA run cut its deficit to just four around the eight-minute mark.
Then Mullins was fouled on a 3-pointer, Ross slammed down an emphatic two-handed dunk and Karaban blocked a shot at the other end, which lead to a technical foul on UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. Karaban made the two free throws and Mullins finished inside to make it a 13-point game and effectively seal the win with four and a half minutes to play.
“The thing about UConn is, I think the first round games are scary. The uniform is heavy in the first round. I’ve experienced it,” Hurley said. “When we get out of the first round, we become very dangerous because you start believing that a run is coming. And I just think you saw, obviously, the team feed off of the level that Alex was playing at. When the two-time national champion has that look in his eye and is making those types of shots and plays, that’s when the group was able to put the game away.”
