No. 5 UConn Huskies Outlasts Texas in 71-63 Defensive Battle To Move To 10-1

In a showdown on Friday night in Hartford between No. 5 UConn and Texas, the Huskies’ stifling defense helped them edge out a battle-tested Longhorn squad. The win represented the sixth straight for UConn as they continue to show how dangerous they are when at full strength.

Alex Karaban Provides Much-Needed Boost For Huskies Offense In Win

When in doubt on offense, find Karaban; at least that’s what the Huskies’ approach on offense was tonight. The senior sharpshooter scored a team-high 18 points, while also hitting some clutch shots down the stretch to secure the win for the Huskies. While the Huskies managed to shoot 54% overall in the game, the offense overall struggled to score for stretches in the second half.

UConn shot just 30% from the field in the second half, a drop off from a sizzling 68% the Huskies shot in the first half. The Huskies also struggled from beyond the arc, shooting only 37% for the game, and an ice-cold 22% in the second half.

Texas Continues To Look Competitive In Tough Non-Conference Schedule

Although Longhorns fans would like to see a better record than 7-4 through a tough non-conference schedule, they can hang their hat on the team’s competitive spirit so far. After a slow first half, the Longhorns managed to outscore the Huskies 29-28 in the second half, getting as close as 5 points at one point.

Tonight’s loss against UConn puts the Longhorns at 0-3 this season versus ranked opponents, with the two other ranked losses coming against No. 3 Duke and No. 24 Virginia. While Texas would certainly have liked to come away with a win against at least one of those opponents, those tough games will more than prepare the Longhorns for an even more stacked conference schedule.

Upcoming Matchups For Both Teams

Now that the non-conference portion of the schedule is almost at an end for both teams, let’s look ahead to what opponents each team will face next. For UConn, they’ll be back at home again for a game against Butler for the Huskies’ first Big East game of the season next Tuesday. As for Texas, they’ll have a chance to bounce back at home versus Le Moyne on Tuesday as well. Both teams will wrap up their non-conference schedule next week before going on Christmas break.