VILLANOVA, Pa. – The No. 9 UConn men's basketball team (12-4, 4-1 BIG EAST) erased a double-digit second-half deficit for the second-straight game before ultimately falling, 68-66, at Villanova (11-5, 4-1) on Wednesday night at Finneran Pavilion. The loss snaps an eight-game winning streak and was UConn's first in five BIG EAST games.
Solo Ball led the Huskies with 16 points, all in the second half, and fellow sophomore Jaylin Stewart scored 14 for Connecticut. Hassa Diarra (11 points, nine assists) and Alex Karaban (10 points, three rebounds, four assists) also scored in double-figures for UConn.
The Huskies went to the half down seven and saw their deficit swell to 12 early in the second before storming back and retaking the lead with 8:38 to play. The Huskies shot 54.0 percent in the setback but were felled by an uncharacteristic 13 turnovers. Eric Dixon, the nation's leading scorer, led Villanova with 23 points on 20 shots and Wooga Poplar added 18.
How it Happened
Both offenses started fast, and eight early points from Stewart including a 3-pointer at 14:27 gave the Huskies a 12-8 advantage. At 9:06 UConn went back up two possessions, taking a 19-15 lead thanks to a Jayden Ross triple.
Late in the first Villanova took advantage of a UConn scoring drought to take a 25-23 lead and force a timeout at 2:51 of the opening stanza. The Wildcats would extend that edge to 32-25 at the half, holding UConn without a field goal for the final 5:11 of the first. The first half featured five ties and seven lead changes.
The Wildcats opened the second half with a 3-pointer to stretch the advantage to double-figures for the first time. VU would push the lead to the largest of the day at 46-34 ahead of the first media stoppage, but an 8-0 run capped by back-to-back triples from Karaban and Diarra cut the lead back to four at 13:12.
Midway through the second Ball drilled his third 3-pointer of the half to pull within one at 53-52 with 9:51 to play. Minutes later, Ball connected once again from downtown to give the Huskies their first lead since 23-21 when they went up 57-55 at 8:38 of the second.
The Wildcats re-took the lead with back-to-back buckets after UConn went on top and the Huskies called for time with 6:06 remaining, trailing 59-57. Ball hit a midrange jumper to tie the contest after the stop, before a Villanova 3-pointer put the Wildcats up 62-59 ahead of the final media timeout at 3:49. Another Dixon triple combined with nearly three-minute scoring drought for the Huskies allowed VU to go up six before Ball again stopped the run.
Karaban got the Huskies back within a possession inside of the final two minutes with a 3-poiinter and after a stop, Ball found Stewart inside to slim the lead to 67-66 and force a Villanova timeout with 1:07 to play. Another stop gave Connecticut the ball back with a chance to take the lead, and after its first two attempts were stuffed at the rim the Huskies inbounded under the basket with 7.2 ticks left to Karaban, who was fouled on a drive to the basket. Taking only UConn's third and fourth free throws of the game and first in over 22 minutes of game time, both attempts were off the mark and Villanova snuck out the win.
Inside the Numbers
- UConn finished 27-of-50 (54.0 percent) from the field and 10-of-27 (37.0 percent) from 3-point range while holding Villanova to 24-55 (43.6) and 8-20 (40.0)
- The Huskies assisted on all 10 of their first half field goals and finished with 23 assists on 27 field goals
- Diarra led all players with nine assists, upping his league-leading average to 8.9 per game in conference play
- Karaban and Ball both added four assists, with the four for Ball tying his season-high
- UConn only attempted four free throws, while Villanova was 11-of-11 from the stripe
- Connecticut finished with a 32-23 edge on the glass and a slim 28-26 advantage in points in the paint
- Stewart and Tarris Reed Jr. each had two blocks
News and Notes
- UConn is now 36-40 all-time against Villanova after seeing its four-game winning streak in the series come to an end
- The Huskies fall to 3-1 in true road games this season
- The trip to Villanova's campus marked UConn's first game at Finneran Pavilion with fans since 1995
- Stewart had multiple blocks in a game for the first time in his career
- Ball was UConn's leading scorer for the fourth time this season
- The Huskies fell for the first time this year when shooting 50 percent or better – they had been 6-0 in such contests
Up Next
The Huskies conclude a four-in-five stretch away from home when they visit Georgetown on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. on FOX.
Latest Top News
- Sarah Strong Named 2025 WBCA Freshman of the YearUConn women's basketball forward Sarah Strong was named the 2025 WBCA NCAA Division I Freshman of the Year, as announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Wednesday.
- UConn Takes Second at Golfweek / Stifel Spring ChallengePAWLEY'S ISLAND, S.C. – The UConn men's golf team had a pair of golfers in the top-10 on the way to a second place finish at the Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge at the True Blue Golf Club in Pawley's Island, S.C. on Wednesday.
- SASP Announces March Husky High Fives WinnersSTORRS, Conn. - The Student Athlete Success Program (SASP) announced the Husky High Five winners for the month of March 2025. The Husky High Five award recognizes UConn student-athletes that demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, growth, and improvement in their commitment to succeeding in the classroom, their sport, and/or in the area of service and leadership. This award recognizes and honors students who have achieved success in these areas through hard work and dedication. When nominating for the Husky High Five, recipients are selected on the criteria of demonstrating significant achievement in their coursework despite various challenges and showing growth in the areas of academics, personal development, leadership, and service.
- WSOC Announces Class of 2029STORRS, Conn. - The UConn women's soccer team has announced its incoming class of 2029 along with a pair of transfers for the upcoming 2025 season.
- UConn Football Announces Series with Miami UniversitySTORRS, Conn. – The UConn football program has entered into an agreement to play two future games against Miami University during the 2026 and 2030 seasons, announced on Wednesday. This will mark the first-ever match-ups between the two programs.
- Track & Field to Host Dog Fight Invite FridaySTORRS, Conn.- UConn track and field will host the first of three outdoor meets in Storrs on Friday, welcoming seven schools for the Dog Fight Invitational. The Huskies will recognize the contributions of thirty-six graduating seniors at the immediate conclusion of the meet.
