The No. 3 UConn men’s basketball team gutted out a top-10 win against the No. 7 BYU Cougars, 86-84, to continue the non-conference dominance of Storrs North in Boston. With the victory, the Huskies improve to 4-0 on the young season.
Silas Demary Jr. led UConn with 21 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, including several clutch-time buckets. Alex Karaban added 21 points and seven assists of his own, while Tarris Reed Jr. contributed 21 points and seven rebounds. Jayden Ross provided a spark off the bench, supplying 10 points and five rebounds.
**A Tale of Two Halves**
The game showcased a tale of two halves for the Huskies. After looking like an unstoppable two-way unit in the first half, BYU came charging back in the second half, cutting a 20-point deficit down to just two at one point. AJ Dybansta went from looking like a bust to a future Boston Celtic in the span of 10 minutes.
Despite the Jekyll-and-Hyde performance, UConn showed serious grit while closing the game out and demonstrated how to win. They found their closer in Demary Jr., and the defense—outside some foul-prone moments—frustrated the Cougars for most of the tilt.
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**First Half**
Jaylin Stewart started on AJ Dybansta, but the bigger story early on was UConn’s sloppy start; turnovers and fouls plagued the Huskies in the first five minutes. However, UConn soon settled in, with Reed establishing himself physically on both ends of the floor.
Although the Huskies had five early turnovers, their active hands on defense disrupted BYU’s sets. Coach Kevin Young flashed some 1-3-1 and 2-3 zones that exposed the middle, but UConn’s uncharacteristic ball sloppiness initially prevented them from taking full advantage.
After the first five minutes, it was clear the Cougars had no answer inside for Reed or Demary Jr., as the two combined for what looked like unstoppable scoring, reminiscent of Evan Mobley. Rob Wright III struggled to stay in front of the Georgia transfer, who used his spacing to hit his first three of the season and crash the rim with authority.
A collision sent BYU center Keiba Keita to the locker room at 6:45, and six straight points from Karaban added insult to injury for the Cougars. UConn made nothing easy for BYU, which helped offset a 3:30 scoring drought.
Stewart’s defense on Dybansta kept the star freshman searching for shots, as he made only one field goal in the first 20 minutes. The defense was the story of the half, holding BYU to just two three-pointers and only three assists. The seventh-ranked offense per KenPom managed 11 turnovers to 11 made field goals.
Defense like that travels well—often to Indianapolis.
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**Second Half**
The threes began falling for BYU, but UConn always had an answer, with Karaban and Ross hitting triples to maintain a double-digit lead. Dybansta went 12 minutes without a field goal at one point, with Stewart’s tight defense dragging his draft stock down possession by possession.
Up 20 with 14 minutes to play, UConn looked to be playing complete basketball—getting whatever they wanted on offense and making life difficult enough for BYU on defense.
The only concerns were fouls that threatened to spoil momentum and whether Dybansta would ultimately wake up.
As it turned out, UConn’s offense stagnated, with several late-clock shots and some untimely fouls grinding the game to a halt. A Wright triple cut the lead to 11, and the Huskies started struggling against the Cougar’s ball pressure.
Enter the Boston crowd. The predominantly UConn Garden crowd grew uncomfortable, but the Southborough kid canned a three from the top of the key to return the lead back to 17. All seemed well—until Dybansta took over.
BYU kept clawing back with free throws and full-court press defense. Dybansta’s momentum at the free throw line carried over to live action, where the future top-5 pick suddenly resembled a young Kevin Durant.
With Ball, Stewart, and Ross nursing four fouls apiece, the Huskies held only a seven-point lead as the Cougars suddenly couldn’t miss. Ross soon fouled out, Reed looked hobbled with a bruised tailbone, and the wheels started coming off.
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**Closing Moments**
UConn needed a spark—and it came from Demary Jr., who finished a tough and-one play, with Ball scrapping a missed free throw to bring the lead back to nine.
But the Huskies still had no answer for Dybansta and his aggressive push-offs.
UConn found their closer in Demary Jr. again, who hit a tough midrange jumper to keep it a two-possession game.
Up six with 34 seconds left, a Dybansta three-pointer made things tense, and a Dawson Baker three made it even sweatier, cutting UConn’s lead to just two with 20 seconds remaining.
Wright III lost the ball on a potential tying possession, and Solo iced the game by hitting one free throw.
Phew. Not the nail-biter fans wanted, but overall, UConn should be pleased.
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**Final Thoughts**
For three quarters, the Huskies defended at a high level, executed offensively, and displayed their balance. They recorded 21 assists on 30 field goals—a very high mark—but the 16 turnovers and 21 fouls remain areas for improvement.
Dybansta’s 21 points in the second half was a performance worthy of respect.
A top-10 win is a top-10 win. The team learned how to close out today and should enter the high-level portion of the non-conference schedule with utmost confidence.
See you in Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday for the matchup against Arizona.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/no-3-uconn-men-basketball-030618117.html
