Karaban has big all-around game as No. 3 UConn beats Sacred Heart 92-56 in season opener
STORRS, Conn. (AP) Alex Karaban had 20 points, seven assists, seven blocks and six rebounds as No. 3 UConn opened the season with a 92-56 win over Sacred Heart on Wednesday night.
Liam McNeeley added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Huskies, seeking their third consecutive NCAA championship. Solo Ball scored 16.
Tarris Reed Jr. finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench as Connecticut outrebounded Sacred Heart 47-25.
Amiri Stewart had 13 points and Bryce Johnson added 10 for the Pioneers (0-2).
Tanner Thomas, who scored 22 points in Sacred Heart's season-opening loss to Temple, had just six against UConn (1-0).
Before the game, the Huskies unveiled their 2023-24 national championship banner. UConn had four starters taken in the NBA draft last summer. Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer all had video messages for the fans at Gampel Pavilion.
Sacred Heart: Three of the first four baskets for the Pioneers were 3-pointers. However, the team hit only one more. Sacred Heart is 9 for 34 from 3-point range in the first two games of the season.
UConn: McNeeley and Reed both had a double-double in their UConn debuts. McNeeley was the top-rated recruit in the Huskies’ freshman class, while Reed is a Michigan transfer.
Sacred Heart only trailed by five with 5:46 left in the first half. Karaban scored eight of UConn’s next 10 points as the Huskies closed the half on a 16-6 run to take a 46-31 lead at halftime.
UConn had 14 offensive rebounds, 10 steals and 11 blocked shots.
Sacred Heart plays at Dartmouth on Saturday.
UConn hosts New Hampshire on Saturday in Hartford.
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This story corrects Karaban's assist and rebound totals.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 |  | Â | (Pioneers gains possession) | Â |
| 19:43 |  | Â | Alex Karaban blocks Tanner Thomas's two point layup | Â |
| 19:41 | | Â | Solomon Ball defensive rebound | Â |
| 19:15 | | Â | Samson Johnson turnover (traveling) | Â |
| 19:03 | | Â | Aidan Carpenter turnover (lost ball) (Samson Johnson steals) | Â |
| 18:58 | | +2 | Samson Johnson makes two point dunk | 0-2 |
| 18:28 | | Â | Aidan Carpenter turnover (lost ball) (Solomon Ball steals) | Â |
| 18:11 | | Â | Samson Johnson misses two point layup | Â |
| 18:09 | | Â | Aidan Carpenter defensive rebound | Â |
| 18:01 | | Â | Mekhi Conner turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 17:44 | | Â | Solomon Ball misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 17:42 | | Â | Bryce Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 17:33 | | Â | Alex Karaban blocks Mekhi Conner's two point layup | Â |
| 17:31 | | Â | Solomon Ball defensive rebound | Â |
| 17:27 | | +2 | Liam McNeeley makes two point layup (Solomon Ball assists) | 0-4 |
| 17:02 | | Â | Raymond Espinal-Guzman misses two point layup | Â |
| 17:00 | | Â | Liam McNeeley defensive rebound | Â |
| 16:55 | | +3 | Solomon Ball makes three point jump shot (Liam McNeeley assists) | 0-7 |
| 16:31 | | +3 | Mekhi Conner makes three point jump shot (Aidan Carpenter assists) | 3-7 |
| 16:07 | | Â | Aidan Mahaney misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 16:05 | | Â | Raymond Espinal-Guzman defensive rebound | Â |
| 15:57 | | +3 | Mekhi Conner makes three point jump shot | 6-7 |
| 15:38 | | Â | Solomon Ball misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 15:36 | | Â | Alex Karaban offensive rebound | Â |
| 15:23 | | Â | Aidan Carpenter shooting foul (Liam McNeeley draws the foul) | Â |
| 15:23 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 15:23 | | +1 | Liam McNeeley makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 6-8 |
| 15:23 | | Â | Liam McNeeley misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â |
| 15:23 | | Â | Raymond Espinal-Guzman defensive rebound | Â |
| 15:03 | | Â | Amiri Stewart misses two point layup | Â |
| 15:03 | | Â | Samson Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 14:51 | | +2 | Samson Johnson makes two point layup (Hassan Diarra assists) | 6-10 |
| 14:32 | | Â | Griffin Barrouk turnover (traveling) | Â |
| 14:24 | | Â | Tanner Thomas personal foul | Â |
| 14:14 | | +2 | Alex Karaban makes two point layup | 6-12 |
| 13:58 | | +2 | Amiri Stewart makes two point layup | 8-12 |
| 13:46 | | Â | Tarris Reed Jr. turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 13:16 | | +3 | Amiri Stewart makes three point jump shot (Raymond Espinal-Guzman assists) | 11-12 |
| 12:53 | | +3 | Solomon Ball makes three point jump shot (Hassan Diarra assists) | 11-15 |
| 12:36 | | Â | Tarris Reed Jr. blocks Amiri Stewart's two point layup | Â |
| 12:34 | | Â | Tarris Reed Jr. defensive rebound | Â |
| 12:29 | | +3 | Alex Karaban makes three point jump shot (Jaylin Stewart assists) | 11-18 |
| 12:01 | | Â | Tarris Reed Jr. shooting foul (Raymond Espinal-Guzman draws the foul) | Â |
| 12:01 | | +1 | Raymond Espinal-Guzman makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 12-18 |
| 12:01 | | +1 | Raymond Espinal-Guzman makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 13-18 |
| 11:47 | | +2 | Liam McNeeley makes two point jump shot (Hassan Diarra assists) | 13-20 |
| 11:33 | | Â | Jaylin Stewart shooting foul (Amiri Stewart draws the foul) | Â |
| 11:33 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 11:33 | | +1 | Amiri Stewart makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 14-20 |
| 11:33 | | +1 | Amiri Stewart makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-20 |
| 11:23 | | Â | Bryce Johnson shooting foul (Hassan Diarra draws the foul) | Â |
| 11:23 | | +1 | Hassan Diarra makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 15-21 |
| 11:23 | | +1 | Hassan Diarra makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-22 |
| 11:12 | | Â | Raymond Espinal-Guzman misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 11:10 | | Â | Liam McNeeley defensive rebound | Â |
| 11:03 | | Â | Jaylin Stewart misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 11:01 | | Â | Huskies offensive rebound | Â |
| 10:51 | | Â | Liam McNeeley misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 10:49 | | Â | Pioneers defensive rebound | Â |
| 10:24 | | Â | Tarris Reed Jr. personal foul | Â |
| 10:19 | | Â | Griffin Barrouk misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 10:17 | | Â | Samson Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 10:11 | | Â | Aidan Mahaney turnover (bad pass) (Amiri Stewart steals) | Â |
| 10:03 | | Â | Fallou Gueye misses two point layup | Â |
| 10:01 | | Â | Hassan Diarra defensive rebound | Â |
| 9:52 | | Â | Hassan Diarra turnover (lost ball) (Fallou Gueye steals) | Â |
| 9:33 | | Â | Samson Johnson personal foul | Â |
| 9:28 | | Â | Griffin Barrouk turnover (lost ball) (Aidan Mahaney steals) | Â |
| 9:24 | | +2 | Hassan Diarra makes two point layup (Aidan Mahaney assists) | 15-24 |
| 9:04 | | +2 | Amiri Stewart makes two point jump shot | 17-24 |
| 8:46 | | Â | Hassan Diarra misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 8:44 | | Â | Griffin Barrouk defensive rebound | Â |
| 8:34 | | Â | Hassan Diarra shooting foul (Amiri Stewart draws the foul) | Â |
| 8:34 | | +1 | Amiri Stewart makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 18-24 |
| 8:34 | | Â | Amiri Stewart misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â |
| 8:34 | | Â | Liam McNeeley defensive rebound | Â |
| 8:20 | | Â | Aidan Mahaney misses two point layup | Â |
| 8:18 | | Â | Aidan Carpenter defensive rebound | Â |
| 8:13 | | Â | Alex Karaban blocks Amiri Stewart's two point layup | Â |
| 8:11 | | Â | Aidan Mahaney defensive rebound | Â |
| 8:06 | | +3 | Liam McNeeley makes three point jump shot (Alex Karaban assists) | 18-27 |
| 7:40 | | +2 | Tanner Thomas makes two point jump shot | 20-27 |
| 7:13 | | Â | Liam McNeeley turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 7:13 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 6:58 | | Â | Mekhi Conner turnover (bad pass) (Samson Johnson steals) | Â |
| 6:35 | | +3 | Liam McNeeley makes three point jump shot (Alex Karaban assists) | 20-30 |
| 6:19 | | +2 | Bryce Johnson makes two point jump shot | 22-30 |
| 6:19 | | Â | Samson Johnson shooting foul (Bryce Johnson draws the foul) | Â |
| 6:19 | | +1 | Bryce Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 23-30 |
| 6:06 | | Â | Amiri Stewart personal foul | Â |
| 6:01 | | Â | Aidan Mahaney misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 5:59 | | Â | Bryce Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 5:46 | | +2 | Tanner Thomas makes two point jump shot | 25-30 |
| 5:19 | | Â | Amiri Stewart personal foul (Solomon Ball draws the foul) | Â |
| 5:11 | | +3 | Alex Karaban makes three point jump shot (Solomon Ball assists) | 25-33 |
| 5:02 | | Â | Alex Karaban blocks Mekhi Conner's three point jump shot | Â |
| 5:00 | | Â | Liam McNeeley defensive rebound | Â |
| 4:58 | | Â | Liam McNeeley turnover (bad pass) (Amiri Stewart steals) | Â |
| 4:51 | | +2 | Amiri Stewart makes two point layup | 27-33 |
| 4:32 | | +2 | Solomon Ball makes two point layup (Alex Karaban assists) | 27-35 |
| 4:10 | | +2 | Bryce Johnson makes two point layup | 29-35 |
| 3:45 | | Â | Liam McNeeley misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 3:43 | | Â | Tarris Reed Jr. offensive rebound | Â |
| 3:40 | | +3 | Alex Karaban makes three point jump shot (Tarris Reed Jr. assists) | 29-38 |
| 3:30 | | Â | Aidan Carpenter misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 3:28 | | Â | Alex Karaban defensive rebound | Â |
| 3:21 | | Â | Solomon Ball misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 3:19 | | Â | Bryce Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 3:12 | | Â | Bryce Johnson turnover (traveling) | Â |
| 3:12 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 2:48 | | Â | Tarris Reed Jr. misses two point layup | Â |
| 2:46 | | Â | Alex Karaban offensive rebound | Â |
| 2:43 | | +2 | Alex Karaban makes two point layup | 29-40 |
| 2:27 | | Â | Mekhi Conner turnover (bad pass) (Hassan Diarra steals) | Â |
| 2:24 | | Â | Raymond Espinal-Guzman shooting foul (Liam McNeeley draws the foul) | Â |
| 2:24 | | +1 | Liam McNeeley makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 29-41 |
| 2:24 | | Â | Liam McNeeley misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â |
| 2:24 | | Â | Raymond Espinal-Guzman defensive rebound | Â |
| 2:03 | | Â | Alex Karaban blocks Amiri Stewart's two point jump shot | Â |
| 2:01 | | Â | Huskies defensive rebound | Â |
| 1:48 | | +2 | Tarris Reed Jr. makes two point dunk (Alex Karaban assists) | 29-43 |
| 1:28 | | Â | Tanner Thomas turnover (lost ball) (Tarris Reed Jr. steals) | Â |
| 1:23 | | Â | Hassan Diarra turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 1:06 | | +2 | Bryce Johnson makes two point layup (Tanner Thomas assists) | 31-43 |
| 0:48 | | +3 | Solomon Ball makes three point jump shot (Alex Karaban assists) | 31-46 |
| 0:38 | | Â | Tanner Thomas misses two point layup | Â |
| 0:36 | | Â | Jaylin Stewart defensive rebound | Â |
| 0:06 | | Â | Hassan Diarra misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 0:04 | | Â | Raymond Espinal-Guzman defensive rebound | Â |
| 0:00 | | Â | End of period | Â |