No. 4 UConn extends win streak to 12 with victory over DePaul
Make it a dozen wins in a row for fourth-ranked UConn, which got 16 points and seven rebounds from Braylon Mullins in a 72-60 Big East victory over DePaul on Saturday afternoon in Hartford, Conn.
Alex Karaban contributed 15 points and Silas Demary Jr. 14 as the Huskies (16-1, 6-0) improved to 9-1 at home and beat the Blue Demons (10-7, 2-4) for the second time this year while ending DePaul's two-game winning streak.
Layden Blocker scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead DePaul, which has lost 22 consecutive games to the Huskies, their most recent win in the series coming on Jan. 31, 2007. CJ Gunn chipped in 11 for the Blue Demons on Saturday.
Leading 37-27 at the half, the Huskies maintained the momentum over the Blue Demons, extending their lead to 44-28 by the first media timeout after Tarris Reed Jr. knocked down a shot in the paint.
DePaul went more than four minutes without scoring near the midway point of the second half before Gunn ended the drought with a jumper with 11:34 to play, cutting the UConn lead to 50-34.
Mullins connected from long range with 6:46 to go, pushing the UConn lead to 64-44. The Huskies won despite not making a field goal over the last four minutes.
Off to their best start in conference play in more than 20 years, the Huskies held the early edge, leading 10-3 thanks to a 6-0 run capped by Mullins, who was knocked down as he hit a 3-pointer and then made the ensuing free throw with 16:28 left.
The Huskies led by double digits at the 8:33 mark after three free throws from Jayden Ross made the score 21-11.
Though the Blue Demons dealt with scoring droughts and a tough shooting performance from the field (9 of 24) in the first half, they were within 25-21 with 4:14 to go after Blocker scored inside.
But the Huskies stretched their lead back to 10 by halftime when Demary drilled a 3-pointer as time expired after missing a jumper a few seconds earlier.
UConn shot 50% (25 of 50) from the floor for the game and had 38 points in the paint and 20 points off turnovers.