Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies defeated the UCLA Bruins in the Round of 32 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Sunday night to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. UConn's most decorated player, Alex Karaban, led the way for the Huskies as his pursuit of a third NCAA championship continues on.
After posting a stat line unseen in the NCAA Tournament in 58 years, Tarris Reed Jr was the clear and obvious defensive focal point for the UCLA Bruins from the second the game tipped off. Credit to UCLA head coach Mick Cronin for the game plan to contain the Huskies' big man.
Too often against Furman, Reed received the ball in the post and easily worked his way to his preferred spots. UCLA began faceguarding Reed to deny him the ball outright, and if he was matched up on a smaller defender, the Bruins would send a backside helper. Whenever Reed was able to get the ball, he was forced into a decision-making role- which, to his credit, he navigated quite well- but not being able to impose his will as he did against Furman was a glaring omission from UConn's early offense.
Karaban and Jayden Ross would pick up the slack early, and Braylon Mullins finally got his shot to fall as the first half dwindled down, allowing UConn to enter halftime with a 38-33 lead. But after 19 points and 16 rebounds in the first half on Friday for Reed, he failed to score a bucket in the first half against UCLA. His mere four points came at the free throw line, and he only pulled down three boards in 11 minutes of first-half action after registering 18 minutes in the first half on Friday.
Team captain, two-time National Champion, the only UConn player to have their number retired while still actively playing, winningest player in the program's history, and the reason his team is moving on to the Sweet Sixteen and still in contention for his third collegiate title. Karaban was a man on a mission against UCLA.
Karaban was the Huskies' only consistent and reliable offensive threat, but he came up big at every turn, stopping multiple UCLA comeback attempts with demoralizing buckets. He ended the night scoring his career-high 27 points on 56-percent shooting from the field. He pulled down five rebounds, but made the most of them with three coming on the offensive end, generating extra possessions for his squad.
On a night where Reed never found his footing, UConn needed all Karaban had to offer to earn the victory. Xavier Booker, Donovan Dent, and Eric Dailey Jr played well for UCLA, but nobody could match Karaban's output, and that is why the Huskies are moving on in the tournament.
UConn will travel to Washington, D.C., for the Sweet Sixteen to take on the No. 3 Seed Michigan State in the East Regional semifinal at Capital One Arena. The game will take place on Friday night with tipoff scheduled for approximately 9:45 p.m.
