Hartford, Conn. — Solo Ball delivered in the biggest moments Saturday, scoring 24 points and knocking down a crucial three-pointer in overtime to lift No. 2 UConn to a 75–67 win over Villanova in a hard-fought Big East battle.
Alex Karaban came alive after the break, pouring in all 17 of his points in the second half and overtime, while Silas Demary Jr. and Tarris Reed Jr. each added 10 points for the Huskies. The victory marked UConn’s 15th straight win and pushed the Huskies to 19–1 overall and a perfect 9–0 in conference play.
Villanova kept the pressure on throughout, leading at halftime and trading blows deep into the second half. The Wildcats built an early advantage behind a pair of three-pointers from Matthew Hodge, using an 8–0 run to take a 31–27 lead into the locker room.
The game turned tense midway through the second half following a technical foul assessed to UConn head coach Dan Hurley. After a no-call on a Karaban drive, Villanova capitalized at the free-throw line, with Devin Askew converting the technical shots and Acaden Lewis adding two more to extend the Wildcats’ lead to 39–33.
UConn answered immediately. Ball fueled a 7–0 run, scoring five of the points, and his three-pointer with 12:12 remaining gave the Huskies their first lead of the second half. Villanova responded with back-to-back triples from Hodge and Askew to regain control, setting up a dramatic finish.
With just over a minute left in regulation, Hodge drilled another three to put Villanova ahead by two. On the ensuing possession, Reed kept UConn alive by tipping in a miss that rattled around the rim, forcing overtime.
The extra period opened with a Tyler Perkins three-pointer for Villanova, but it proved to be the Wildcats’ lone field goal in overtime. Ball answered with a timely three of his own, and UConn took over from the free-throw line and on the defensive end to seal the win.
Perkins and Duke Brennan led Villanova with 16 points each, as the Wildcats fell to 15–5 overall and 6–3 in Big East play.
UConn played much of the second half without freshman Braylon Mullins, who exited early after appearing to take contact to the face while Villanova was advancing the ball.
Up Next: UConn returns home to host Providence on Tuesday, while Villanova will welcome Providence to Philadelphia on Friday.
