WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Karaban scored 19 points, Solo Ball added 15, and No. 9 Connecticut rebounded on Saturday from its first conference loss of the season to defeat Georgetown 68-60.
The Huskies (13-4, 5-1 Big East) bounced back after falling 68-66 at Villanova on Wednesday. They have not lost consecutive league games since January 2023.
Curtis Williams Jr. put up 15 points for the Hoyas (12-4, 3-2), who have now lost 20 straight games against ranked teams since their victory in the 2021 Big East tournament.
Connecticut held a 36-31 lead at halftime and then surged in the second half with a 17-2 run, leading to Georgetown coach Ed Cooley calling two timeouts before the Hoyas notched their first field goal after the break. The Huskies eventually built a 64-41 lead.
UConn freshman forward Liam McNeeley, averaging 13.6 points, missed his third consecutive game due to an ankle injury.
The Huskies have now triumphed in all nine meetings against Georgetown since rejoining the Big East before the 2020-21 season.
Takeaways
Connecticut: The Huskies stifled a young Georgetown lineup and pulled away in the second half, showcasing maturity in their performance. They have won nine of their last 10 games since dropping three at the Maui Invitational in November.
Georgetown: Guard Jayden Epps, who scored three points in 14 minutes, returned from a lower-body injury after playing only four minutes in the previous three games.
Key Moment
With Connecticut ahead 39-31 early in the second half, Hassan Diarra made a steal from Epps and scored a layup. From that point on, the Hoyas never came closer than nine points until the final 20 seconds.
Key Stat
Karaban once again dominated the Hoyas. In three games against Georgetown over the past two seasons, the redshirt junior has averaged 23.3 points while shooting 70.3% (26 of 37) overall and 66.7% (14 of 21) from 3-point range.
Up Next
Connecticut will face Creighton on Jan. 18.
Georgetown will visit St. John’s on Tuesday.
