University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
0-0,0-0Big East
Michigan State
0-0,0-0Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UConn | 30 | 48 | 78 |
| Michigan St. | 22 | 48 | 70 |
10/20/2026 10:11:00โฏPM | Men's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich.ย ย โ The No. 4 UConn men's basketball team continued its unbeaten preseason with a 78-70 road win over No. 6 Michigan State on Tuesday night in exhibition action at the Breslin Center.ย Nik Khameniaย led three Huskies in double-figures with 19 points and the Huskies held the Spartans under 40 percent from the field in the win.ย
Joiningย Khameniaย atop the scoresheet wereย Silas Demary Jr.ย with 16 points andย Colben Landrewย with 13. The Huskies shot 47.7 percent from the field as a team and hit 10 threes, dishing out 21 assists in a strong offensive showing. The contest was the conclusion of a preseason home-and-home series that began a season ago in Hartford.ย
How it Happened
The Huskies used the three-ball to take an early edge, with triples fromย Khameniaย andย Demary Jr.ย putting them up 8-3 ahead of the game's first media stoppage. An 8-2 response from the Spartans gave the hosts their first lead, with the sides trading blows and the Huskies re-taking a 15-13 lead on a deep step-backย Khameniaย triple before a timeout with 10:22 to play in the first.ย
At 3:40 of the opening stanza, anย Oskar Giltayย put-back gave the Huskies a 25-19 edge, their largest lead of the proceedings. In the final minute of the firstย Demary Jr.ย rattled home a corner 3-pointer to give the Huskies a 30-22 lead at the half. Both teams shot under 40 percent in the defensive-minded opening 20, withย Khameniaย leading all scorers with nine points.ย
The Spartans scored the first six points of the second half to pull within two before a basket inside fromย Landrew,ย who connected again on a corner 3-pointer to put the Huskies up 35-30 before a stoppage at 15:44. At 12:02 of the firstย Demaryย hit from downtown to put the Huskies up 48-39, but the Spartans answered quickly with the next five and the Huskies called for time at 11:10, leading by four. Midway through the frameย Junior Countyย andย Nils Machowskiย hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Huskies up 56-48 and trigger an MSU timeout with 9:12 to play.ย
Anotherย Machowskiย triple before a traditional three-point play forย Landrewย pushed the lead to 64-50 with 6:53 on the timer. The Spartans wouldn't pull closer than seven the rest of the way.ย
Inside The Numbers
- The Huskies finished 27-of-57 (47.7 percent) from the field and 10-of-25 (40.0 percent) from distance, limiting the Spartans to 21-of-53 (39.6) and 3-of-20 (15.0)
- UConn dished out 21 assists on its 27 field goals, led by five fromย Jayden Rossย and four forย Demary Jr.ย
- The Spartans held a 37-34 edge on the glass and a 20-18 advantage in second chance points
- Khameniaย andย Giltayย tied for the team-high with six caroms apiece
- Turnovers were even at 12-apiece, with Connecticut posting a slight edge (12-11) in points off miscues
- In two preseason games,ย Khameniaย is averaging 15.5 points and 7.0 rebounds
News and Notes
- While Tuesday night did not count towards the all-time series, UConn is 5-4 all-time against Michigan State
- It marked the second time Connecticut has played at the Breslin Center, nearly 27 years after the first meeting in the 1999-00 season
- The contest is believed to be the first true road exhibition in UConn historyย
Up Next
The Huskies conclude the preseason on Tuesday, Oct. 27 when they welcome Purdue to PeoplesBank Arena.ย
