UConn knocks off New Haven in opener, but work still remains for Huskies

Solo Ball was one of four Huskies in double figures as fourth-ranked UConn opened season with comfortable victory over New Haven. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

STORRS, Conn. — Over the past two years, the first Monday of November had a spot in the history books of UConn basketball. In 2023, the program raised its fifth national championship banner into the rafters at Gampel Pavilion. In 2024, it rose its sixth.

In 2025?

It was just a normal game. No stoppage roughly 20 minutes before tip with a ceremony to honor the previous year’s team, just business as usual. Just another night in November. 

For parts of UConn’s 79-55 win over New Haven on Monday, it looked like a team that was treating it like just another night in November. Entering the game as whopping 42.5-point favorites, if you’re into that stuff, the fourth-ranked Huskies never really had that big run to blow it open. In fact, the Chargers trailed by as little as ten points early in the second half.

“That was excruciating,” Dan Hurley said. “That was a painful game to coach. We played better in the two exhibitions against two teams that were much better than New Haven. That game sucked.”

For some more context, New Haven is making the jump from Division II to the Division I level this season, which puts the state of Connecticut back at seven Division I programs, a number it hasn’t been at since Hartford’s departure a few years ago. Even with a team playing at this level for the first time, the Chargers impressed Hurley.

“I thought New Haven did a great job,” Hurley said. “Watching their scrimmages and seeing how good they are offensively with the spacing and patience, I had a lot of respect from the film.”

With Tarris Reed, Jr. sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Huskies relied upon their other two star returners for a bulk of the production. Alex Karaban had a relatively quiet 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Solo Ball had 18 with a second-half explosion.

“The two teams that won a national championship during my time here were able to share the ball,” Karaban said. “We have to continue to share the ball.”

The first half was all about the defense for UConn, as the team allowed just one three-pointer and 24 points overall. The perimeter defense was sharp, forcing New Haven into uncomfortable looks. The defense took a step back in the second half. Charger guards were charging to the rim with ease, and Andre Pasha was getting everything he wanted over Husky rookie Eric Reibe on the low block.

“Eric isn’t going to see another center like that all year,” Hurley said. “It looked like Woody Harrelson’s character in ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ with all of those fadeaway twos.”

Ball ignited the crowd early in the second half by getting fouled on consecutive three-point attempts, nailing all six free throws to expand the lead after New Haven clawed back within ten. The junior sharpshooter connected on two more threes after that to finish with a dozen in the second half to provide a spark. Add Karaban’s timely buckets and the Huskies were able to pull away.

Jaylin Stewart and Silas Demary, Jr. joined the star duo in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Both juniors are expected to be key pieces for what Hurley and the program wants to do this season, and even with each in double figures, it wasn’t an A-plus performance from either of them.

“Silas had some very poor individual defensive possessions,” Hurley said. “But remember, it wasn’t perfect with (Tristen Newton) at the start of his junior year, and now he’s in the Ring of Honor.”

Solid minutes from four players off the bench rounded out a performance from UConn that was, all in all, not as bad as people made it out to be. The Huskies didn’t come out of the gates firing on all cylinders and maintain dominance the whole way like people expected, but the potential is clearly there once the team is fully healthy.

“Tonight sucked, but I think this team is going to be a lot of fun once we get our shit together,” Hurley said.

The Huskies will have a chance to redeem themselves with a performance more up to their standards on Friday, when they host UMass Lowell at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.