Men’s Basketball 3/4/2025 3:21:00 PM
STORRS – The UConn men’s basketball team (20-9, 12-6 BIG EAST) returns to action on Wednesday for a late-night showdown with No. 20 Marquette (22-7, 13-5 BIG EAST) at Gampel Pavilion. The crucial contest for BIG EAST Tournament seeding will air on FS1 with Jason Benetti and Bill Raftery on the call.
Wednesday Night is a WHITE OUT. There will be white t-shirts on every seat, courtesy State Farm, and fans are encouraged to wear their best Husky white.
The Huskies are home for the final two contests of the regular season, first welcoming No. 20 Marquette to Gampel Pavilion with eyes on a season sweep of the Golden Eagles. The contest will be crucial to determine BIG EAST Tournament seeding, with UConn currently sitting a game back of both Marquette and Creighton for second in the league table.
Connecticut will take on Marquette for the 21st time on Wednesday night, with each meeting coming since 2006 upon MU joining the BIG EAST. Since the Huskies returned to the league ahead of 2020-21 they are 9-2 against the Golden Eagles – meeting in each of the last two BIG EAST Tournaments (2023 Semis and 2024 Championship). UConn took the first leg of the regular season series this year with a 77-69 win over then-No. 9 MU on Feb. 1 in Milwaukee. Solo Ball had a career-day at the Fiserv Forum in the wire-to-wire triumph, going 7-of-9 from 3-point range and posting career-highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds.
UConn was last in action on Saturday afternoon at Providence, getting a Herculean effort from Tarris Reed Jr. and leading for the final 30 minutes of a double-digit rivalry win. Reed Jr. finished the 75-63 victory with 24 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks while shooting 10-of-13 from the floor. It marked the only 24p-18r-6b line from any player in the NCAA this season. Marquette is coming off back-to-back impressive results, routing Providence by 30 on Feb. 25 and rolling to a 14-point win at Georgetown on Saturday night.
Liam McNeeley was one of four Huskies in double-figures on Saturday at PC and leads UConn with 15.3 points per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the third-straight week on Monday and has garnered seven such honors this year. Ball adds 14.9 points per game and is 11th nationally with a 43.6 percent mark from 3-point range, while Hassan Diarra ranks 20th in the country with 6.0 assists per game. Alex Karaban is the do-it-all captain of the Huskies posting 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. Reed Jr. has provided a huge punch off the bench with 10.2 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.
Marquette sits at 22-7 on the year with a 13-5 mark in BIG EAST play, checking in at No. 20 in the latest AP Poll and top-25 in both Kenpom and NET. Kam Jones leads the MU offense with 18.4 points and 6.2 assists per game, one of four Golden Eagles scoring in double-figures. Marquette is top-20 nationally in defensive efficiency and leads the BIG EAST in turnover margin and steals.
Following Wednesday, the Huskies are back in Storrs for the regular season finale and Senior Day when they host Seton Hall on Saturday. Prior to the contest UConn will honor the graduating class of Fifth-year Hassan Diarra, Senior Samson Johnson and Redshirt-Junior Alex Karaban.
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PLAYERS MENTIONED
#10 HASSAN DIARRA
#35 SAMSON JOHNSON
#11 ALEX KARABAN
#1 SOLO BALL
#5 TARRIS REED JR.
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Karaban leads UConn to 72-66 win over No. 20 Marquette
STORRS, Conn. (AP) Alex Karaban scored 21 points, including a pivotal 3-pointer with 23.7 seconds left, and UConn defeated No. 20 Marquette 72-66 on Wednesday night.
Liam McNeeley had 11 points and Samson Johnson added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Huskies (21-9, 13-6 Big East), who pulled into a tie with Marquette for third place in the conference standings.
UConn owns the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series.
Solo Ball and Hassan Diarra each scored 10 points as the two-time defending NCAA champions beat Marquette for the fifth straight time.
David Joplin had 23 points and Kam Jones scored 21 for the Golden Eagles (22-8, 13-6).
UConn ripped off 10 straight points with dunks by Jaylin Stewart, Tarris Reed Jr. and Johnson to take a 61-54 lead with 7:49 remaining.
The opening tip was delayed by 22 minutes as a result of facility issues, according to a statement from UConn.
Marquette: Unless they get some unexpected help this weekend, the Golden Eagles appear headed for a 4-5 matchup with Xavier in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament next week at Madison Square Garden.
UConn: Karaban, Johnson and Diarra showed their experience and winning pedigree down the stretch as coach Dan Hurley’s team gears up for another postseason run.
With the Huskies clinging to a one-point lead, Karaban took a pass from Reed and drained a 3 that gave them a 70-66 cushion. Diarra added two late free throws and UConn improved to 5-2 against ranked teams this season.
UConn outrebounded the Golden Eagles 44-29, including 19-8 on the offensive glass, and held them to 3-for-22 shooting (13.6%) from 3-point range.
UConn wraps up the regular season Saturday at home against last-place Seton Hall. Marquette hosts No. 6 St. John’s, which has already clinched the Big East title.
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