No. 2 UConn beats Villanova to run winning streak to 15
Alex Karaban grabbed a key offensive rebound and hit the tiebreaking free throws with 1:24 left in overtime as No. 2 UConn extended its winning streak to 15 games by outlasting visiting Villanova for a 75-67 victory Saturday afternoon in Hartford, Conn.
Karaban scored all 17 of his points after halftime and added eight rebounds. The biggest occurred when Solo Ball missed a 3-pointer with 1:25 left, as Karaban battled with Devin Askew to secure the rebound and cleanly hit the foul shots to snap a tie at 67.
Silas Demary Jr. made it 71-67 by getting past Duke Brennan for a layup with 47 seconds and hit two free throws 18 seconds later. Karaban finished it off by hitting two free throws with four seconds left.
Solo Ball led all scorers with 24 points to help the Huskies (19-1, 9-0 Big East) win 15 straight for the first time since winning the first 19 games in 1998-1999. Tarris Reed Jr. and Demary added 10 apiece as UConn shot 41% and hit 8-of-22 3s.
Reed also grabbed 11 rebounds before fouling out in overtime.
Tyler Perkins and Brennan led the Wildcats (15-5, 6-3) with 16 points apiece. Brennan also grabbed 14 rebounds while Perkins had 10 boards.
Devin Askew added 13 points before fouling out and Matt Hodge contributed 12 as the Wildcats shot 33.9%. Standout freshman Acaden Lewis was held to four on 1-of-13 shooting.
Villanova held a 31-27 lead by halftime after Malachi Palmer sank a corner 3 with 27 seconds left. Askew and Lewis hit free throws for a 39-33 lead with 15:06 left after Danny Hurley was called for a technical foul and Erik Reibe's basket off a pass from Ball capped a 9-0 run nearly four minutes later.
Neither team led by more than four the rest of regulation and both had chances to win down the stretch.
UConn took a 59-56 lead when Karaban slipped by Hodge for a layup with 3:36 left. The Huskies held the lead for over two minutes until Hodge hit an open corner 3 off an inbounds pass for a 61-59 edge with 70 seconds left.
UConn tied the game at 61 when Reed batted in the ball on a putback while jostling with Perkins under the rim with 45 seconds remaining.
On the final possessions of regulation, Villanova had a 3 by Lindsay blocked by Jaylin Ross with 26 seconds left and Karaban committed a turnover before getting a shot off before the buzzer.