UConn bounces back, defeats Georgetown 68-60
Written by Sean Murawski // SM Sports
January 11th, 2025
In the nation’s capital on Saturday, UConn defeated a hot Georgetown team, 68-60, in front of a packed crowd at Capital One Arena.
After dropping their first conference game of the year against Villanova by 2 in heartbreaking fashion, the Huskies needed a statement game to prove they were worth sticking around in the national conversation. They needed it against a Georgetown team who had only lost 1 conference game, and is miles better than last season.
Alex Karaban (19 pts, 6 rebs, 4-6 3pt) needed a bounce back game more than just about anybody. After missing last week’s decisive free throws, he followed it up with a stellar performance in DC. He was supported by Solo Ball (15 pts, 3-8 3pt), who is truly emerging as a star and a focal point of UConn’s offense, especially in the absence of Liam McNeeley. Off the bench, Jayden Ross and Aidan Mahaney put in good minutes, while Samson Johnson scored 9 and blocked two shots.
For a young Georgetown team, a lot of eyes were on freshman big man Thomas Sorber. Sorber was solid, but not overbearing, with 9 points and 10 rebounds. He did block 4 shots, which disrupted a lot of UConn’s offense early. Micah Peavy (14 pts, 5 rebs) was the Hoyas’ highest scoring starter, and Curtis Williams Jr. (15 pts, 3-4 3pt) was a huge factor off the bench.
Both teams were rather sloppy with the ball, collecting 15 turnovers each. UConn had the advantage down low, with 30 of their 68 points coming in the paint. Georgetown got to the line more and started hot, but they never led by more than 6.
The score is a bit deceiving, as Georgetown was down by 23 points at one point. Admittedly, UConn’s close out tactics are a bit peculiar. In the final few minutes, there were several possessions that ended in Hassan Diarra chucking a long range three at the shot clock buzzer, which came after 30 seconds of the offense standing still. UConn’s offense takes a long time to develop anyway, and they typically use at least two-thirds of the shot clock. It’s a bit puzzling why that would be their plan down the stretch, and their costly turnovers made the game a bit closer at the end than the rest of the game actually was.
Georgetown’s youth definitely showed a bit during this game, and UConn’s veteran Alex Karaban delivered some big blows. His long range three pointers and deliberate movement off the ball gave UConn plenty of options across the floor. They are missing arguably their most lethal scorer, and this stretch of games is vital to get everybody involved and keep the line moving.
Under Ed Cooley, Georgetown have improved substantially this season. They have more conference wins at this stage (3) than they did the entirety of each of the previous three seasons. Georgetown being a good basketball school is great for the Big East brand, and with recent down turns from Providence and Seton Hall, it is admittedly great to see a DC arena jumping for a big-time conference game.
UConn’s stretch without Liam McNeeley will continue next weekend when they play host to Creighton, who themselves have fallen victim to the injury bug this season. Georgetown looks to rebound at St. John’s.
UConn’s next game: vs. Creighton, Saturday 1/18, 12 pm, FOX
Georgetown’s next game: at St. John’s, Tuesday 1/14, 7:30 pm, Peacock
Nova outlasts UConn amid chaotic ending, 68-66
Written by Sean Murawski // SM Sports
January 9th, 2025
Wednesday night at Finneran Pavilion brought comebacks, booth reviews, questionable decision-making, and a true “ball don’t lie moment” that even Jadeveon Clowney would be proud of.
Kyle Neptune’s Villanova Wildcats, who have very quietly begun to slowly and surely right some sort of ship this season, defeated UConn 68-66. Led by the nation’s leading scorer Eric Dixon, the Wildcats were able to sustain the late pressure from Dan Hurley’s Huskies. UConn drops their first Big East game of the season, and they are evidently still trying to obtain some structure in their second game of a few more to come without their star freshman Liam McNeeley.
Dixon, despite scoring 23 points, went 6-20 from the field and only hit two three-pointers. 9 of his 23 came from the line, where UConn sent him quite a bit. He was double teamed for most of his touches, and in the first half in particular, UConn was able to contain him well. In crunch time, he was able to get some big buckets to keep UConn at bay.
Without Liam McNeeley, it was up to UConn to prove their depth. This time, the rotation piece moved into the starting lineup was lengthy wing Jaylin Stewart (14 pts, 3 rebs, 2 blk). Stewart proved himself on both ends, playing stellar defense on Eric Dixon for the majority of the game. Elsewhere, Solo Ball’s 16 points on 4 threes to go with 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals led the Husky lines. Ball is turning out to be the team’s most athletic and engaging playmaker. His prolific three-point shooting and quick drives are a weapon for UConn’s offense to exploit teams with. Hassan Diarra (11 pts, 9 ast, 1 stl) continued to lead them from the point guard position. Tarris Reed Jr. (6 pts, 2 blk) also was a good bench piece, although both him and Samson Johnson struggled with foul trouble, a trend that has continued to dog UConn all season long.
For Nova, Dixon was supported by great shooting from Wooga Poplar, who scored 18 points on 3-6 from beyond the arc. Jordan Longino (12 pts, 2-3 3pt) also contributed to Nova’s offensive output, which helped them gain as much as a 12 point lead in the early second half of the game.
Alex Karaban (10 pts, 4 ast, 3 rebs, 2-7 3pt) ended up in the game’s final moment. After driving to the lane in the final seconds, he was inexplicably brought to the foul line after a seemingly all ball block that should have been a play on. Instead, UConn’s most decorated and experienced player was sent to the line for two, down by one, to gain the lead in the dying moments.
Karaban, who had never missed two free throws in a row in college (via ESPN), did just that. He clanked both off of the back rim, and a last ditch half court shot in the final seconds from Karaban was a no go. As they say— ball don’t lie.
Every Big East game will be a dog fight. The story of last night’s dog fight was turnovers: UConn turned the ball over 13 times, gifting Nova 15 points. UConn scored just 4 points off of Villanova’s 6 turnovers. Poor decision-making and giveaways helped UConn lose this game, but credit to Nova for their stellar performance at home. Dixon and co. scored when it mattered, and their early second half cushion came at the perfect time. UConn was constantly clawing back, and though they nearly did it, Nova’s initial push and offensive exploitation proved vital.
Hurley and the Huskies look to continue on their quest for a third straight title, although the road is rockier than it was last season. In 2023, they lost 7 Big East games, and still managed to win it all in Houston. However, a new cast of characters— specifically, a younger cast— are in Storrs now. They are proving to be an easier nut to crack than the last two championship teams.
Kyle Neptune’s seat was perhaps one of the hotter ones in the country coming into this season. Ever since Jay Wright’s departure, the program had lost a bit of its identity, as well as its Big East credential. Neptune’s rock bottom was likely last season, when they were ousted in the first round of the NIT at home by VCU. Neptune’s biggest peak? Last night in Philly, defeating an AP-ranked 9th UConn team, who has dominated the college hoops landscape for the last two seasons. UConn also had a major hand in dethroning Villanova as the kings of the conference, so Neptune’s key moment in Nova blue becomes a little sweeter with that in mind. Villanova earned a huge win, and it may boost them right back onto the bubble.
UConn’s next game: at Georgetown, Saturday 1/11, 2 pm, FOX
Villanova’s next game: at St. John’s, Saturday 1/11, 7 pm, CBS Sports Network
Sean Murawski is a writer for his own personal sports website, smsports.net. He publishes weekly columns and rankings on men’s college basketball, as well as coverage columns for the MLB.
