UConn’s seniors embody spirit of March with suppression of Spartans in Sweet 16

WASHINGTON — March’s most iconic moments come when those who have been on its dance floor previously know that their time is drawing to a close. Consciously, they raise their game under the brightest of lights, not wanting to be denied in their final attempt to hold a piece of forever in their arms.

The University of Connecticut has five seniors on its roster, two of whom are most integral to its success. One of those seniors has won two national championships, and even if his stoicism and professionalism masks it, is perhaps the hungriest among his teammates to hoist a third trophy before his time is up. The second, also a quiet leader, has never had the chance.

Both stepped up most when UConn needed them to Friday.

Alex Karaban started the scoring for the Huskies against Michigan State, knocking down a three in the opening minutes before UConn eventually put the Spartans in a 25-6 hole. Tom Izzo’s team would eventually dig out of it and take the lead, but then it was Tarris Reed, Jr. who responded.

Reed’s go-ahead basket put UConn in front for good with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation, and the center’s free throws in the final minute preserved a 67-63 win to send the Huskies to the East regional final.

“We don’t want this to end,” Reed declared after he led UConn (32-5) with 20 points, including four crucial free throws to keep the Huskies ahead of Michigan State. “Every game is an elimination game for us, and I definitely want to go to that Final Four. I’ve never experienced a Final Four in my life, so we just don’t want it to end. We want to keep this team together as long as we can.”

That togetherness was the major rallying point even after Michigan State forced its way back into the game with its trademark toughness and physical defense, something Alex Karaban made sure to remind his teammates of as the Spartans threatened to end the season for the last Big East team standing in the NCAA Tournament.

“We knew that they were going to respond,” he said. “We knew that they wouldn’t give up. They’ve had guys stay loyal to their program as well and really have so much pride when they wear the Spartan uniforms, so we knew that they would respond. It’s just, are we gonna respond and are we gonna stay true to our culture?”

The answer was a resounding yes, affirmatively decided by both of the Huskies’ veterans.

Immediately after Reed put UConn back in front by a 48-47 margin, Karaban extended the lead 26 seconds later on his second 3-pointer of the night. Michigan State would draw close several times after that, but was unable to seize momentum back as the Husky veterans put the game on their shoulders.

“That’s what this time of year is all about,” head coach Dan Hurley said. “You gotta have great upperclassmen. You have to have great juniors, great seniors, veteran players that are not gonna blink and just can handle the pressure of the moment, and also can bounce back.”

“I think to start the second half, Tarris had some opportunities that he left on the table, and AK was able to make that in-game adjustment. My message to him is, if you’re gonna go out in this tournament, you gotta go out on your shield. You gotta go out firing, or you’re gonna have a lot of regrets.”

The Spartans had one last chance to extend the game in the final seconds, but Carson Cooper’s missed free throw that would have cut UConn’s lead to one was rebounded by Reed, who had drained two free throws after Jeremy Fears’ three answered a Karaban triple and returned the Huskies’ margin to one point. A shaky free throw shooter during the regular season, the Michigan transfer credited the confidence instilled in him by his own work, and also by his coaches and teammates, for affording him the belief in himself to make his last two to seal the game.

“I feel like I put in the work,” Reed reflected. “The guys around me were like, ‘T, trust. You put in the work every day and we see you at the free throw line.’ So I took a deep breath and took my time at the line.”

UConn now advances to play Duke in Sunday’s Elite 8, adding another layer of history to an all-time rivalry with the Blue Devils. While he acknowledged the meaning and significance of a win, Karaban deflected from addressing the desire to keep his own career alive, focusing on keeping his team together as long as possible. But the presence of both he and Reed has lit a fire under the rest of the team, who feels as if there is more to play for besides one another.

“You can tell he’s so passionate about it,” Braylon Mullins said of Karaban’s last quest for championship glory. “He knows he doesn’t want to go out like he did last year, so you just have that feeling of not wanting to let a brother down. If you’re not going to play for yourself, just play for the seniors around you. Any time could be the last time they put the jersey on.”

This time, the only certainty was that there would be a next time.