The clock had just struck midnight in Manhattan. Big East Tournament Quarterfinal Thursday turned to Friday, and the No. 3-seeded UConn Huskies found themselves locked in a tight battle with sixth-seeded Villanova with a spot in the semifinal round on the line.
That’s when UConn’s leader, Alex Karaban, took over.
The big stage is nothing new for Karaban, a guy whose winning percentage would rival almost anybody in Storrs. The junior forward drained a straightaway triple with 6:18 remaining in the game to give Connecticut separation in what had been a nip-and-tuck battle.
Minutes later, just when it appeared the Wildcats could perhaps put one more surge together, Karaban buried a dagger 3 with less than four minutes to go to say goodnight to Villanova, and good morning to the three teams remaining in the tournament: St. John’s, Marquette and Creighton.
Are the Huskies what they were last year? No. But they still possess championship DNA and elite-level shooting, and this time of year, that’s going to give you a shot against virtually anybody.
The Huskies shot 5-of-8 from 3-point range in the second half and closed the game on a 22-5 run en route to a 73-56 victory over the Wildcats. The win sends the Huskies to a semifinal showdown and rubber match with Creighton at 9 p.m. ET Friday on FOX.
The Huskies didn’t just do it with elite-level shooting on Thursday night. They locked down the nation’s leading scorer, Eric Dixon, holding him to just eight points in what was likely the final game of his college career. UConn ended Dixon’s streak of 47 consecutive games in double figures, a streak that now belongs to Marquette star Kam Jones. In doing so, the Huskies also denied Dixon of Kerry Kittles’ program scoring record of 2,243 points, with the fifth-year senior sitting at 2,235.
But most important for Karaban and the Huskies is that the team appears to be peaking at the perfect time, winning their fifth straight game.
“It’s March, and around here, we’re desperate for championships,” Karaban said. “We have to be playing our best basketball this time of year. There’s no other way. Wearing that UConn jersey, you have to play with a certain swagger, especially in March where championships are won.”
Karaban finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Liam McNeeley followed him with 12 points, and Solo Ball and Samson Johnson had 11 apiece.
Samson Johnson finishes tough and-1 layup, extending UConn’s lead over Villanova
Beyond the balanced offense, the Huskies won the rebounding battle, 31-22, and used their physicality to close out the game.
“I found it encouraging that we were within five at halftime,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “I think for us to close a game like that to start the postseason, it shows a blueprint of what’s possible for this team.”
In a way, the Huskies reminded everybody of what was possible after it felt like their season was heading in the wrong direction following a 68-62 loss to St. John’s back on Feb. 7. But after that, UConn avenged an early-season defeat to Creighton with an incredible win over the Bluejays behind 38 points from McNeeley.
Friday night’s rematch is fascinating for a variety of reasons. For starters, Creighton coach Greg McDermott is 8-4 against Hurley in his career. UConn is trying to advance to the Big East title game for the second straight year, something they had not achieved since 2011, before doing it last season. Meanwhile, Creighton has reached the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament four times since 2014, but has yet to win it.
In what has developed into a rivalry since the Huskies returned to the league, Friday night’s semifinal matchup could deliver the goods in what will likely be Ryan Kalkbrenner’s final game against Connecticut.
But late Thursday evening, into the early hours of Friday morning, Hurley was all smiles after watching his team put together a dominant second half. The Huskies have the look of a team that is peaking at just the right time.
“It’s Lent, so I’m a practicing Catholic,” Hurley said with a chuckle following the game. “It’s back to the hotel room and on to a slice of cheese pizza for me. Then, we’ll move to the great team that is Creighton.”
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
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