Alex Karaban scored 19 points, and with Solo Ball contributing 15, No. 9 UConn rebounded effectively on Saturday, overcoming its first conference defeat of the season to defeat Georgetown, 68-60.
The Huskies, holding a record of 13-4 and 5-1 in the Big East, managed to avoid back-to-back league losses, a feat they haven’t experienced since January 2023, following a narrow 68-66 loss to Villanova on Wednesday.
For the Hoyas, Curtis Williams Jr. led the way with 15 points. Georgetown, now at 12-4 and 3-2 in conference play, continues to struggle against ranked opponents, having lost 20 consecutive matchups since their victory in the 2021 Big East tournament.
Connecticut entered halftime with a slight edge at 36-31, but surged in the second half with a 17-2 run that forced Georgetown coach Ed Cooley to use two timeouts before his team could score their first field goal of the half. The Huskies built a commanding lead of 64-41.
Freshman forward Liam McNeeley, who averages 13.6 points, missed his third straight game due to an ankle injury, leaving a gap in UConn’s lineup.
Since rejoining the Big East prior to the 2020-21 season, UConn has maintained an impressive record against Georgetown, winning all nine encounters.
Takeaways
Connecticut demonstrated a strong defensive strategy against a young Georgetown team, showcasing their maturity and resilience. They have now won nine of their last ten games, bouncing back from a challenging stretch at the Maui Invitational in November.
For Georgetown, guard Jayden Epps returned to the court after a lower-body injury, contributing three points in 14 minutes, but struggled to make a significant impact after limited play in recent games.
Key moment
A pivotal play occurred early in the second half when Hassan Diarra executed a clean steal from Epps, leading to a layup that widened Connecticut’s lead to 39-31. The Hoyas were unable to close the gap to fewer than nine points until the final moments of the game.
Key stat
Karaban has consistently excelled against Georgetown, averaging 23.3 points in three games over the last two seasons, with impressive shooting percentages of 70.3% overall and 66.7% from beyond the arc.
Up next
Looking ahead, Connecticut will host Creighton on January 18, while Georgetown is set to visit St. John’s on Tuesday.
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