Huskies Drop OT Thriller To Memphis In Maui Opener

LAHAINA, Hawaii – The No. 2 UConn males’s basketball crew (4-1) suffered its first setback of the season in a 99-97 extra time thriller vs. Memphis (5-0) on Monday within the quarterfinals of the 2024 Maui Invitational on the Lahaina Civic Middle. The Huskies rallied from 12 down within the ultimate three minutes of regulation to power extra time earlier than finally falling brief within the additional body. The loss snapped UConn’s nation-leading 17-game profitable streak and was its first misplaced in an MTE since 2021.

Solo Ball nailed a 3-pointer to tie the competition at 82-82 within the ultimate second of the second half, one in all three 3-pointers hit by the Huskies within the final 2:31 of regulation. General the Huskies closed the opening 40 minutes on a 15-3 run after happening 79-67 with 3:18 to play.

Tarris Reed Jr. led an enormous bench scoring effort for the Huskies with a career-high 22 factors, including 11 rebounds to submit a monster double-double as a reserve. Jaylin Stewart additionally posted a brand new career-best with 16 factors, including 5 rebounds. Alex Karaban completed with 19 factors and a game-high six assists, as six complete Huskies completed in double-figures.

Rounding out UConn’s double-figure scorers had been Hassan Diarra with 12 and Ball and Liam McNeeley each notching 10. For Memphis, Tyrese Hunter led the best way with 26 factors and PJ Haggerty added 22, going 11-of-14 from the free throw line.

The way it Occurred

The Tigers got here out the aggressor, and a 3-pointer on the 13:09 mark of the primary gave Memphis its largest lead of the early goings at 16-10. Later within the first, a run of seven-straight factors for the Huskies from Stewart leveled the rating at 24-24 and compelled a Memphis timeout with 7:36 to go.

Reed Jr. powered his technique to a three-point play earlier than Stewart canned one other triple to present the Huskies their largest lead at 32-27 simply shy of the five-minute mark of the primary. The competition would go to the half all tied up at 40-40, with the Huskies getting an enormous bench spark as Reed Jr. and Stewart mixed for 29 within the opening stanza.

The Tigers constructed their lead again as much as 5 early within the second, earlier than a put-back slam from Stewart tied the competition at 48-all and prompted a Memphis timeout at 13:54 to play. The seesaw affair proceed from there, with Memphis going up 4 for a spell earlier than a trio of Karaban free throws leveled it once more at 57 with 10:14 to go.

A 9-0 Memphis run capped by Hunter’s seventh 3-pointer gave the Tigers the biggest lead of the day at 68-58 and prompted a UConn stoppage at 8:09 within the second.

The Tigers swelled their result in as many as 13 with 4 minutes to play within the second, however the Huskies wouldn’t go down with out swinging. Again-to-back 3-pointers from Liam McNeeley reduce the deficit again to 4 and compelled a Memphis timeout with 1:38 to go.

A driving lay-up by Karaban on the 1:10 mark acquired the competition again to inside a one-score recreation at 80-77. Haggerty was capable of get to the road on back-to-back journeys to maintain the Tigers forward, earlier than a turnover with 14.2 ticks to play gave the Huskies the ball down 82-79. The Huskies inbounded to Hassan Diarra, who had his first few choices denied earlier than discover Ball for a proper wing, fading 3-pointer that noticed nothing however internet to degree the competition and power extra time.

On the 2:00 mark in extra time with the shot clock expiring, Ball related once more from distance to present the Huskies a 90-86 lead. The Tigers answered with back-to-back 3-pointers of their very own, sending the competition into the ultimate minute of extra time tied at 92-all. With 40.2 to a go a unfastened ball foul and ensuing technical gave the Tigers four-straight on the line, which they transformed to go up 96-92. The Huskies acquired again inside a possession twice within the dying moments of extra time, however final the Tigers had been capable of ice away the victory on the charity stripe.

Inside The Numbers

• UConn shot 49.2 p.c from the ground (32-65) and 46.7 p.c (14-30) from 3-point vary, however allowed Memphis to 54.7 (29-53) and 54.5 (12-22) marks – each bests for a UConn opponent this season
• The Huskies completed with a slim 33-30 edge on the glass, led by Reed Jr.’s 11 rebounds and 6 from Diarra
• Connecticut dished out 22 assists on 32 discipline objectives
• UConn held a 50-23 benefit in bench scoring, get a season-best from the reserves
• Memphis shot 40 free throws in comparison with 24 for the Huskies

Information and Notes

• UConn falls to 8-9 all-time towards Memphis within the first assembly since an AAC contest in 2020
• Dan Hurley is now 13-4 in MTE video games at UConn
• Reed Jr.’s career-high of twenty-two got here on 10-of-13 capturing from the ground
• Stewart’s career-high of 16 topped his earlier mark of 11 set final season – he scored 12 of these factors within the first half
• The double-double for Reed Jr. was his third in 5 video games as a Husky and the sixth of his profession
• UConn’s 14 made 3-pointers mark a brand new season-best
• The loss was UConn’s first since Feb. 11, 2024 – a span of 288 days

Up Subsequent

Relying on later outcomes in the present day, UConn will face both Michigan State or Colorado at 3:30 ET / 10:30 HT tomorrow on ESPN2.