WASHINGTON — Connecticut was the hammer. Michigan State was the nail.
The No. 2 Huskies made six of their first seven attempts from 3-point range to lead the No. 3 Spartans 25-6 midway through the first half of the Sweet 16, seemingly snapping out of the month-long slump that had cost them the Big East regular-season and tournament championships.
“I think we were able to slow them down in transition and then execute, not turn the ball over,” said guard Silas Demery.
But things are never that easy for this UConn team. Things haven’t been easy, in fact, since the second of the program’s back-to-back national championships in 2024.
Michigan State stormed back. A late bucket by Jeremy Fears Jr. made the score 35-27 at halftime. The lead was 35-34 just over three minutes into the second half. By the midpoint of the second half, the Spartans went ahead 45-44 for their first lead since going in front 4-3 just 74 seconds into the game.
“I think we’ve got to be able to handle those runs better,” said guard Solo Ball. “I think we gave in and let them have that run. We lost focus on what we do best, the defense and rebounding that put us up.”
But down the stretch, the Huskies’ three veteran leaders — Ball, forward Alex Karaban and center Tarris Reed Jr. — stepped up to deliver a 67-63 win that leaves UConn a win away from the eighth Final Four appearance in program history.
“Tarris and Solo and then (Karaban) at the end over there just willed up to the victory,” coach Dan Hurley said.
UConn will next face No. 1 Duke in the Elite Eight. The two programs have met nine times, including a 77-74 UConn win in the 1999 national championship game.
Karaban, Reed and Ball combined for 49 points, 73.1% of the team’s total. Karaban posted 17 points and 7 rebounds for his 11th career NCAA Tournament game in double-figure scoring. Reed finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Ball had 12 points, including a pair of free throws and layup on successive possessions that helped the Huskies move ahead 55-49 with 5:30 to play.
At a crucial point, these three put the Huskies on their backs to avoid what might have been the worst loss of the Hurley era.
“We responded the right way,” said Demery. “We took that punch and were able to go back and forth with them.”
The key was Karaban, the only member of the roster to log meaningful minutes during the back-to-back run. A veteran of 17 career tournament games and just one tournament loss, the senior delivered key buckets down the stretch and, more importantly, helped keep the Huskies’ emotions in check as the Spartans stormed ahead in the second half.
“Alex responded like he’s been there before. He’s been in these moments,” Demery said.
Karban is “the leader of this team,” said Reed. “He’s the captain of this ship. Following what he’s doing is going to help us go as a deep as we can.”
At a second-half timeout after MSU had drawn within a possession at 51-49 on a Jeremy Fears Jr. layup, Karaban told his teammates to stay together and composed. Be there for your brother, Deremy recalled Karaban saying, and be ready to swing back.
“We knew we had to stay together no matter what,” said Karaban. “Everything was tested for us. Every possession, offense, defense, was a test for us. I think it was a special game.”
Reed cracked the 20-point mark for the second time this tournament, joining his monster 31-point, 27-rebound performance against No. 15 Furman in the opening round, on a pair of game-icing free throws with four seconds left.
“You would think in those moments it would be nerve-wracking,” Reed said. “But when you're in it, it wasn't that nerve-wracking. Like I said, 'Trust the work.'
“I've been working on it. Taking my time and breathing and trusting in the shot and living with the result.”
Reed was “amazing, dominant, the guy,” said Karaban. While the former Michigan transfer has given the Huskies a much more interior-centered feel than the two championship teams, his ability to draw attention helped free Karaban for a 12-point second half that saw him play all 20 minutes after the break.
Behind these three veterans, UConn was able to outmuscle one of the toughest and most physical programs in the country. That’s a testament to the program’s growth not just since losses to Marquette and St. John’s late in the regular season but since last year’s frustrating team, which bowed out in the second round to eventual national champion Florida.
“It happens every single game,” Ball said. “There are new guys that step up. But at the same time, I think it’s just the mentality. We’re not just going to do anything to lose. It’s all 15 of us trying to stay in the same locker room as long as we can. That’s the biggest motivation.”
Now the focus shifts to the Blue Devils, who pulled out a physical win of their own in the first regional semifinal against the Red Storm. Unlike the Huskies, Duke has no seniors in the rotation and are heavily reliant on freshmen and sophomores such as Cameron Boozer, Dame Sarr, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngonba II.
That could give UConn a pregame edge in the matchup to determine which team advances out of this star-studded region.
“That's what this time of year is all about,” Hurley said. “You've got to have great upperclassmen. You have to have great juniors, great seniors, veteran players that are not going to blink and just can handle the pressure of the moment and also can bounce back.”
Now playing their best basketball in weeks, if not the entire year, the UConn veterans “don’t want it to end,” Reed said.
“I just remember last year we were crying in the locker room after the round of 32. It was one of the worst feelings ever. I'm motivated.
“I love everybody in this locker room and want to keep going. I want to go to the Final Four and make history.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn relies on veteran players to get past Michigan State in Sweet 16
