PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The UConn men's basketball team (19-9, 11-6 BIG EAST) plays its final true road game of the season when it heads up the road to face Providence (12-16, 6-11 BIG EAST) at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Huskies go for the season sweep of their regional rival on Saturday at noon, airing on CBS with Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas on the call.
The Huskies will take on Providence for the 82nd time, part of nearly a century-year-old series between original BIG EAST members. UConn holds the all-time edge, 50-31, including a regular season sweep last season, the first match-up this year and the last five meetings overall. In the win on Jan. 5 of this season, Hassan Diarra had a career-high 19 points with eight assists, Solo Ball scored 16 and Aidan Mahaney had a clutch 15 off the bench.
UConn was last in action on Wednesday night at the XL Center, closing out a perfect Hartford slate with a 93-79 victory over Georgetown. Offense was on full display throughout the contest as UConn shot 55.9 percent from the floor while the Hoyas hit their first four 3-pointers en route to 11 on the night. The difference came on the glass, where the Huskies dominated to the tune of a 35-18 rebounding edge and turned 13 offensive rebounds into a season-best 30 second chance points.
Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. led the Huskies with 20 points apiece in the triumph, as Ball grabbed five rebounds with three assists and Reed Jr. notched his seventh double-double of the season by grabbing 10 boards. Liam McNeeley added 17 and four assists while \ Diarra scored 14 with a game-high seven assists.
McNeeley leads the Huskies in scoring this season with 15.4 points per game to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists a night. Since returning from an eight-game injury absence on Feb. 7 the freshman has ramped up his game, averaging 19.2 points and 9.2 rebounds in those six contests. Ball is second on the squad with 14.9 points per game and checks in 11th in the country with a 43.1 percent mark from 3-point range.
The Husky captain, Karaban, adds 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while ranking among the national leaders logging over 36 minutes per game. Reed Jr. has emerged as a force off the bench and is averaging 9.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as the primary backup to Samson Johnson – who himself is on his way to shattering his own single-season record for field goal percentage. During league play Diarra ranks among the league leaders with 5.9 assists (second), a 2.73 assist/turnover ratio (second) and 1.8 steals per game (fifth).
Providence sits at 12-16 on the year with a 6-11 mark in BIG EAST play in Kim English's second season in Friartown. Jayden Pierre and Bensley Jospeh both score to 12.9 points per game to lead active Friars, while Ryan Mela is tops on the squad with 5.1 rebounds per game.
Following the Saturday match-up the Huskies return home for a rare two-game Gampel homestand, first hosting Marquette on March 5.
Players Mentioned
- G
- 6' 2"
- Senior
- F
- 6' 10"
- Junior
- G
- 6' 3"
- Freshman
- C
- 6' 10"
- Junior
- G
- 6' 3"
- Junior
- F
- 6' 7"
- Freshman
Players Mentioned
- 6' 2"
- Senior
- G
- 6' 10"
- Junior
- F
- 6' 3"
- Freshman
- G
- 6' 10"
- Junior
- C
- 6' 3"
- Junior
- G
- 6' 7"
- Freshman
- F
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- McNeeley and Reed Jr. Earn Weekly BIG EAST HonorsNEW YORK – For the third-straight week and seventh time this season Liam McNeeley has been named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, as announced by the conference on Monday (March 3) morning. In addition junior Tarris Reed Jr. made his first career weekly honor roll after a pair of dominant performances in a 2-0 week.
- Reed Jr. Dominant, UConn Wins At ProvidencePROVIDENCE, R. I. – The UConn men's basketball team (20-9, 12-6 BIG EAST) took care of business with a near-wire-to-wire win, topping Providence by a score of 75-63 on Saturday afternoon at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Tarris Reed Jr. had a career day to spur the Huskies, setting new personal bests across the board with 24 points, 18 rebounds and six blocked shots.
