|
|
|
|
Printable Page
03/22 22:41 CDT Karaban scores 27 points and sends UConn back to the Sweet 16
with 73-57 win over UCLA
Karaban scores 27 points and sends UConn back to the Sweet 16 with 73-57 win
over UCLA
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- Alex Karaban scored a career-high 27 points and had Bill
Murray and the rest of the UConn crowd roaring with each splashed 3-pointer,
helping send the second-seeded Huskies back to the Sweet 16 with a 73-57 win
over UCLA in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.
The Huskies (31-5) will play third-seeded Michigan State in the East Region
semifinals on Friday night in Washington.
Coach Dan Hurley, who won consecutive national championships in 2023 and 2024,
has the Huskies back in a familiar spot after they were bounced in the second
round a year ago by eventual national champion Florida.
The Gators are gone already in March Madness. The games will go on for the
Huskies.
Karaban was about a one-man show for UConn in the first half with a pair of 3s
and 11 points and the fourth-year senior remains in the hunt for this third
national championship.
The Bruins (24-12) had no answer for Karaban or how to slow the rest of the
Huskies as they gamely tried to make due in the absence of leading scorer Tyler
Biloudeau. Xavier Booker led the Bruins with 13 points.
Murray --- his son, Luke, is a UConn assistant coach --- got in on the fun
during the Huskies' game-changing 14-0 run and even did the " 6-7 " hand
gesture during a timeout.
Karaban, UConn's career 3-point leader, punctuated the spurt that made it 56-44
with his fourth 3 of the game and the Huskies were never seriously challenged
again.
Karaban is a rarity in college basketball in this name, image, likeness era
that has rewarded players with the freedom of yearly transfers as they chase
greater riches. He's played all four seasons --- and started all but one of his
147 games --- with the Huskies and has now been rewarded with yet another Sweet
16.
UConn's Tarris Reed Jr. would be hard-pressed to duplicate the monster
performance of 31 points and 27 rebounds he had in the opener. He followed with
a more modest double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. Braylon Mullins
scored 17 points for UConn.
The Huskies entered March Madness in a bit of a slump by their championship
standard after a loss to St. John's in the Big East Tournament title game made
them 2-2 over their final four games.
UConn got the last laugh in Philadelphia --- well, at least 76ers center Andre
Drummond did when the former Huskies star came over to tease fellow Sixers
center and former UCLA standout Adem Bona in the waning moments.
UCLA plays without Tyler Bilodeau because of a sprained knee Bilodeau seemed on track to play but remained sidelined because of a sprained knee suffered last week against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. He averaged 17.6 points and was an All-Big Ten third-team selection. UConn gets good news, bad news on injury front Jaylin Stewart again sat out with a knee injury that's sidelined him since late February. Silas Demary Jr., a first team All-Big East selection, returned to the lineup and played 22 minutes after he sustained an ankle injury in the Big East Tournament. Skyy Clark has plenty to chew on after tough loss for UCLA Skyy Clark could not cap his season with a Sweet 16. He only finished with a capped tooth. Clark lost a tooth in UCLA's first-round win against UCF and needed overnight dental surgery for repairs. Just like Steph Curry, Clark chewed on his new mouthpiece throughout the game. One UCLA fan bellowed at Clark, "keep firing, Skyy! Keep firing!" With his back to the stands, Clark nodded at the encouragement -- and kept firing. He buried a 3 for a 42-40 lead --- one of the last bright spots for UCLA --- and finished with 11 points. Up next The Huskies continue their quest for their third national championship under Hurley. ___ AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness |
| Copyright DTN. All rights reserved. Disclaimer. |
|
