UConn completes sweep of Marquette as Karaban gets a long-awaited moment with dagger three in final seconds

Alex Karaban found his clutch shot again Wednesday, burying three in final minute to secure UConn sweep of Marquette. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

STORRS, Conn. — It all started with a leaky roof.

One of the most important games remaining on the Big East’s remaining regular season schedule almost didn’t happen. As the planned 8:40 p.m. tipoff was quickly approaching, the two teams were nowhere to be found on the court. A group of around 15 people consisting of the referees and UConn personnel, among others, gathered underneath the basket on the home bench side, staring at the ground.

“They talked about canceling the game if it didn’t get addressed,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. “I told Danny we’d go across the street to the practice gym and play if we had to.”

After a roughly 20-minute delay, UConn finally tipped off against 20th-ranked Marquette in a game that was critical for who finishes third in the Big East standings ahead of next week’s conference tournament at Madison Square Garden. The winner on Wednesday would be in the driver's seat for the No. 3 seed with just one game left in the regular season on Saturday.

Even though the team has struggled at Gampel Pavilion in Big East play this season, the Huskies used a big second-half run and some clutch shot making from Alex Karaban to defeat the Golden Eagles, 72-66, in front of a sellout crowd in Storrs.

“Two really good teams beyond desperate to get this win,” Dan Hurley said. “It’s always an honor to share the floor with (Marquette), and it’s always going to be a war.”

Off the tip, the Huskies were able to use their physical advantage inside, both in the paint and on the boards. For the game, they finished plus-15 on the glass and started building that margin right away with second chance opportunities. Samson Johnson had a career night, notching his first career double-double with 10 points and a new benchmark 11 rebounds.

Samson Johnson logged first career double-double Wednesday, with 10 points and 11 rebounds in UConn’s win over Marquette. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

“Samson loves UConn so much and knows his career is winding down,” Hurley said. “He’s the ultimate UConn warrior. I think he had a better spirit today.”

Both sides were trading blows in the second half, with neither team able to break it open for the first eight minutes or so. After that, UConn went on a 10-0 run to go from down three to up seven, a run that was kicked off by an incredible putback slam from Jaylin Stewart that nearly blew the roof off Gampel.

“We’re not seeing as many of those highlights this year,” Hurley said. “That was a big momentum play.”

The run was capped off by a Johnson breakaway slam that forced Smart to talk things over. Whatever he said in the huddle inspired the Golden Eagles to stay in it and keep it a ballgame. After a pair of easy buckets from Kam Jones late, Marquette only trailed by one with 40 seconds to play.

From there, the Huskies needed somebody to step up, somebody to have a major moment and knock down a big shot. Who else, then, but the man who has been doing that for the past two-plus seasons?

Karaban passed the ball inside to Tarris Reed, Jr., called for the ball back, and drilled a deep three with 25 seconds remaining to extend the lead to four and put a dagger in Marquette’s hopes of squeaking out a win.

“There’s not a college athlete that deserved a moment more than that kid,” Hurley said. “It’s March, and Alex Karaban is starting to heat up.”

“For myself personally, I was going through a lot last month where I wasn’t shooting it well,” Karaban said. “To have a moment like that, it was special and really rewarding.”

Ever since he missed two free throws in the final seconds of UConn’s loss at Villanova on January 8, Karaban hadn’t been his usual consistent self. With a solid game at Providence last Saturday, followed by 21 points and seven rebounds Wednesday against Marquette, it looks like the old Karaban may be coming back at the perfect time.

“We weren’t surprised,” Diarra said of Karaban’s dagger three. “He’s Captain America.”

The win clinches a season sweep for UConn against Marquette, an important factor toward a potential tiebreaker come Saturday. No matter where the Huskies are come both Big East tournament time and Selection Sunday, Hurley has great belief in his squad.

“We’ve been optimistic,” Hurley said. “There’s a lot of teams in the country that have eight, nine, 10 losses that are going to be threats in March.”

UConn has one final regular season tuneup on Saturday, hosting Seton Hall. The Huskies will look to avoid a season sweep by the Pirates after a surprising loss last month. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m.