University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
15-1,5-0Big East
Providence
8-7,1-3Big East
No. 4 UConn Wins Wild OT Thriller at Providence
1/7/2026 11:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The No. 4 UConn men's basketball team (15-1, 5-0 BIG EAST) was down 11 with 3:12 to play before roaring back and forcing overtime, eventually topping Providence (8-7, 1-3 BIG EAST) by a score of 103-98 on Wednesday night at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Four Huskies finished with at least 20 points, a first in UConn's modern history, and Connecticut set a program single-game record for 3-pointers with 18 in the overtime classic. It was UConn's 11th straight win this year and its seventh-straight victory against Providence.
Braylon Mullins led all scorers with 24 points and was 6-of-10 from 3-point range, setting new career-highs in scoring, made 3-pointers and made field goals. Silas Demary Jr. had a monster double-double with 23 points and a career-high 15 assists, also swiping five steals. The 15 assists were the most in a game for a UConn player in nearly 21 years. Alex Karaban poured in 23 points and was 5-of-9 from downtown while Tarris Reed Jr. scored 20 with a game-high eight rebounds and two blocks.
The Friars built a double-digit lead in the first half and went to the break up 10. The Huskies went down as many as 13 in the second half and couldn't cut the gap closer than five until its furious late push. The Huskies closed the second half on a vicious 14-3 run over the final 2:49 of regulation, getting seven points from Karaban and a game-tying bucket from Reed Jr. to force the extra frame. From there the Huskies were able to control overtime and pull off their largest comeback win of the season.
How it Happened
The Huskies got the scoring started with a 3-pointer from Solo Ball, but the Friars answered with the next seven points to take a 7-3 lead into the first stoppage. The Huskies took their first lead of the day at 9:10 of the first with a Mullins 3-pointer, the capper of an 8-0 run that put UConn up 19-17.
Later in the frame eight-straight for the Friars put PC ahead, 34-30, and prompted a UConn timeout with 4:18 to go in the opening stanza. PC extended their run to 11-0 after the stop before a Demary Jr. lay-in stemmed the tide. Providence overall ripped off a 21-4 run, going up as many as 13 before a Ball triple in the final moments of the frame cut the deficit to 47-37 at the break.
A 7-0 run keyed by Reed Jr. pulled the Huskies back within six at 16:22 of the second, down 53-47. PC pushed its lead back to double-digits before another Reed Jr. bucket and Demary Jr. 3-pointer slimmed the margin to 58-52 and prompted a Providence timeout with 13:31 to play. The Huskies closed within five midway through the half, but a run of six-straight stretched the PC lead back to 11 at 68-57. Down 13 the Huskies got a Karaban 3-pointer before a timeout with 8:13 to play, trailing 73-63.
At 5:58 a Karaban floater off a feed from Demary Jr. got the Huskies back within two possessions, down 78-72. After the Friars went back up 11, taking an 86-75 , UConn made its final charge. A 9-0 run had the contest within two at 86-84 and PC burned its final timeout with 1:27 to play. The Friars ended the run with a three after the stop before Karaban answered with a triple of his own and the Huskies called for time down 89-87 with 54.7 ticks to play.
On the PC trip after the stoppage, the Huskies forced a pair of misses and regained the ball with 30 seconds to go. On their ensuing possession Reed Jr. came up with a huge offensive rebound and put-back, tying the contest at 89-all and forcing overtime.
Mullins got the scoring started in overtime with a long jumper, then made it 94-92 in favor of Connecticut with 3:26 to play. PC closed within one around the two minute mark before yet another triple from Mullins at 1:53 pushed the lead to 99-94. After Karaban got the lead to six the Friars hit a 3-pointer to pull within a possession in the final minute. Up three in the last moments of regulation, Demary Jr. hit a pull-up jumper with 11 seconds to go that put the game on ice.
Inside The Numbers
- UConn shot 49.3 percent (35-71) from the field and 56.3 percent (18-32) from three, while Providence finished with 50.0 percent (32-64) and 58.3 percent (14-24) marks
- PC became the first team this season to hit double-digit 3-pointers against the Huskies
- The Friars also recorded the best field goal percentage against UConn this year, both from the floor and from three
- Demary Jr., Karaban and Mullins combined to go 15-of-26 from downtown
- The Huskies dished out 25 assists on 35 field goals
- Demary Jr. became the first Husky with 15 assists in a game since Marcus Williams had 16 on Jan. 30, 2005
- Demary Jr. had one turnover against his 15 assists – the first time in UConn and fifth in BIG EAST history a player had 15 assists with one or fewer turnovers
- The Huskies led for only 7:23 of game time
- Both teams finished with 32 points in the paint
- UConn was +5 in turnover margin and out-scored PC 26-17 off miscues
News and Notes
- UConn improves to 52-31 all-time against Providence and has won seven-straight in the series – the longest winning streak for either side in the 98-year history of the rivalry
- The Huskies are 4-0 in true road games this season and 7-0 overall away from home
- Karaban moved into the top-20 on the UConn all-time scoring list, passing Scott Burrell (1,562) and now sitting alone in 20th place with 1,576 career points
- Karaban now has 248 career 3-pointers, passing Ben Gordon (246) to move into fourth in Connecticut history
- The double-double for Demary Jr. was his second of the season and his career and the third time this season he has dished out at least 10 assists
- UConn's 18 made 3-pointers are a new single-game program record, topping the 17 hit against Xavier on Jan. 28, 2024
- The Huskies hit double-figure 3-pointers for the fourth time this season and the second time in their last three contests
- All five UConn starters scored in double-figures for the second time this season and first since Nov. 7 against UMass Lowell
- UConn last rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit on Jan. 5, 2025 against PC at Gampel (39-27)
- It was UConn's first overtime game this season after going
Up Next
The Huskies return home on Saturday, Jan. 10 for a 12:30 p.m. tip against DePaul in Hartford.
