BOSTON, MA — In an electric early-season showdown in front of 18,053 fans at TD Garden, the UConn Huskies relied on poised guard play and timely free-throw shooting to hold off the Michigan Wolverines, 85-77.
The victory improves UConn to 2-0 on the young season, while Michigan drops to 1-1 following a physical 40-minute battle.
Sophomore guard Braylon Mullins led the scoring charge for Connecticut, racking up 23 points while knocking down 10 of 11 free throws and burying three shots from beyond the arc. Veteran backcourt mate Silas Demary Jr. orchestrated the attack with a clinical 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 36 minutes of action.
UConn established control early, carrying a 43-30 lead into the halftime locker room behind an explosive 9-0 run late in the opening half. The Huskies pushed their cushion to as many as 18 points early in the second frame at 52-34 following back-to-back 3-pointers from Jayden Ross.
Freshman Colben Landrew gave UConn key production off the bench, tallying 14 points and pulling down eight rebounds to keep the Wolverines at arm’s length whenever Michigan threatened inside.
Michigan fought back in the closing minutes behind a torrid second half from guard Trey McKenney, who finished with a team-high 22 points—all scored after halftime on 8-of-11 shooting. J.P. Estrella added 19 points and nine rebounds, while Roddy Gayle Jr. chipped in 18 points. The Wolverines capitalized on UConn's late miscues with a 7-0 flurry in the final minute to slice the deficit to 83-75, but Ross sealed the contest at the charity stripe with 14 seconds left.
The difference came down to execution at the line and from long range. While Michigan dominated the interior scoring 38-24 in the paint, UConn sank 30 of 36 free throws (83.3%) and shot 40.9% (9-of-22) from deep to stave off the Wolverines' late surge.
Watch the full game recap and key scoring runs in the Michigan vs UConn game highlights.
This video provides highlights of the key plays, defensive stops, and momentum swings from the Huskies' 85-77 victory over Michigan at TD Garden.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.