UConn Shatters Michigan 85-77 in Title Rematch
Silas Demary Jr. scored 17 first-half points as the fourth-ranked Huskies avenged last season's national championship loss in Boston.
By Simon Bennett ·
UConn’s men’s basketball team outscored Michigan 18-9 in the second quarter to take a commanding lead, securing an 85-77 victory in a rematch of last season's national final. The win at TD Garden in Boston erased the memory of a 69-63 defeat the Huskies suffered against the Wolverines in the national championship game six months ago.
Silas Demary Jr. was the engine for UConn’s first-half surge. The 6-foot-4 senior guard scored 17 of his 21 total points before the break. He also secured seven rebounds and made a diving save on a loose ball. Demary played through an ankle injury that had sidelined him in the previous season's title game, appearing energized by the opportunity to redeem his team.
Braylon Mullins added 23 points, while freshman Colben Landrew contributed 14. UConn (2-0) established control early. Although Michigan (1-1) opened the game with a 2-0 lead off a lob dunk by Moustapha Thiam, Mullins answered immediately with a 3-pointer. The Huskies never trailed again after that moment.
Foul trouble kept Michigan competitive during the first half. Oskar Giltay received a foul, and the UConn bench drew a technical foul with under five minutes remaining in the period. However, Quinn Costello and J.P. Estrella missed three of four free throws, limiting Michigan to two points for the rest of the half. UConn closed the half on a 9-0 run, capped by a pull-up 3-pointer from Landrew in transition.
In the second half, Trey McKenney sparked a Michigan rally. The 16th-ranked Wolverines cut an 18-point deficit to nine points with 9.5 minutes left in the game. Na’jai Hines responded with a putback dunk of a Junior County missed layup, starting a 7-2 run that stabilized the UConn lead. Michigan never closed the gap again.
Pregame and halftime activities included pregame warmups by Solo Ball, who did not play in the game. Bob Hurley Sr., a Naismith Hall of Fame high school coach, received his Hall of Fame jacket after a video tribute. Ray Allen attended the game courtside, along with Carmen Velasquez, the mother of Shabazz Napier.
