02/21/26 06:50:00
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02/21 18:48 CST No. 5 UConn uses a dominant second half to beat Villanova 73-63
No. 5 UConn uses a dominant second half to beat Villanova 73-63
By AARON BRACY
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- Alex Karaban scored 12 points, Tarris Reed Jr. added 11
and No. 5 UConn used a dominating second half to defeat Villanova 73-63 on
Saturday night.
Braylon Mullins added 10 points for the Huskies (25-2, 15-2 Big East), who
rebounded from Wednesday's 91-84 home loss to unranked Creighton.
Tyler Perkins scored 15 points and Matt Hodge had 13 for Villanova (21-6,
12-4), which had won six in a row since losing 75-67 in overtime to UConn on
Jan. 24 in the teams' first meeting.
The teams were locked in a two-point game at the break after a competitive
first half, but Villanova went without a field goal in the opening 5:25 of the
second half. UConn took advantage with a 13-2 run after the intermission. And
the Huskies continued from there. The lead reached as many as 21 points later
in the half on a nifty spin move and finish by Reed.
The Wildcats, who are still in position to end a three-year NCAA Tournament
drought under first-year coach Kevin Willard, struggled from long range the
entire game. They finished 6 for 24 from beyond the arc.
UConn, the 2023 and '24 national champs, are pushing for a No. 1 seed in the
NCAA Tournament, and beating Villanova for the eighth time in the last nine
meetings will help.
The Wildcats have four regular-season games left, and Willard almost certainly
will pass Jack Kraft for the most wins by a first-year coach. Kraft went 21-7
in 1961--62.
Up next
UConn: Hosts St. John's on Wednesday.
Villanova: Hosts Butler on Wednesday.
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