No. 3 UConn will head from the bright lights of Boston back home to Storrs, Conn., looking to bank a second straight win over a Top 10 opponent when the Huskies meet No. 4 Arizona on Wednesday night in a battle of 4-0 teams.
After rolling to their first three victories by an average margin of 38 points, the Huskies passed their first major challenge of the season in a thrilling 86-84 victory over then-No. 7 BYU on Saturday at TD Garden in Boston.
UConn shot 56.6% from the field for the game and had an 11-point halftime lead before holding off BYU’s late charge to win for a ninth time in its past 10 Top 10 matchups. Alex Karaban, Silas Demary Jr. and Tarris Reed Jr. scored 21 points apiece.
“We just had to stay composed, just stay together and battle through the adversity,” Karaban said. “The adversity is gonna help us out later in the season. It was a good learning experience.”
With the season still young and the level of competition just ratcheting up, UConn coach Dan Hurley is learning about his team.
It was an especially big night for Demary, the Hall of Fame Series Boston MVP whose 21-point performance included several crucial baskets and free throws, and he added seven assists, five rebounds and two steals. The Georgia transfer and former SEC all-freshman pick is averaging 13 points per game this season.
“When the game tightens up, it’s about players going and making plays off-script and making a big shot,” Hurley said. “(Demary) obviously showed that he’s clutch and he’s able to get to the free-throw line, he’s able to put pressure on the rim, get in the paint, finish. The guy is gonna keep getting better and better, and we need that from him.”
Arizona has come out on top of two ranked battles thus far, including Friday, when it downed then-No. 15 UCLA 69-65 in a Hall of Fame Series game in Inglewood, Calif.
Wildcats star freshman Koa Peat has had an up-and-down start to his college career. His scoring output has decreased with each game from a 30-point debut against Florida to just seven points in Friday’s game. He also committed four fouls and six turnovers.
Following his team’s latest win, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd noted that while rostering a pair of reigning McDonald’s All-Americans is exciting, finding success at this high level is not all about youth.
“We know that the young guys are getting a lot of attention, but make no bones about it: We need our vets,” Lloyd said. “They’ve been in these games before.”
Senior Anthony Dell’Orso scored 13 of his 20 points off the bench in the first half vs. the Bruins and netted four 3-pointers. Jaden Bradley hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:23 remaining and added four rebounds and three assists.
While coming off the bench is a new role for Dell’Orso, the native Australian and Campbell transfer has taken it well.
“When you have a coach that backs you and trusts in you, that’s all you can ask for,” Dell’Orso said. “I think he does that to a lot of our guys, and that just makes us go down the stretch, building confidence that we can perform and execute and get the win.”
