Alex Karaban returned to the UConn lineup after missing two games with a concussion, had 21 points and 11 rebounds and led the No. 25 Huskies past Texas 76-65 on Sunday.
Solo Ball scored 16 points and made four 3s as UConn (7-3) won its first true road game of the season. Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr. scored 12 apiece, and Hassan Diarra handed out 11 assists.
Freshman Tre Johnson led Texas (7-2) with 24 points. Arthur Kaluma had 20 points and nine rebounds.
UConn led by 20 early in the second half and by 15 with less than four minutes remaining. Kaluma hit a 3-pointer cut the deficit to eight with 1:15 left, but Texas did not score again.
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Takeaways
UConn: The Huskies, with four new starters, have sometimes struggled to guard opponents on the perimeter. Texas, after shooting 31% in the first half, improved to 54.2% in the second, but UConn always had an answer when the Longhorns showed some life.
Texas: Before The arrival of UConn presented an opportunity for Texas to offer a glimpse of itself against better competition on national television. But the Longhorns missed eight of their first nine shots and never made a serious run.
Dog House
Key moment
Johnson scored eight points in a span of less than five minutes, leaving Texas down 10 with nine minutes remaining. But Ball responded with a 3-pointer for UConn, restoring some order.
Key stat
UConn had 21 assists on 28 baskets compared to Texas' eight assists. Several of those assists enabled the Huskies to have a 38-18 advantage in the paint.
Up next
UConn meets No. 7 Gonzaga on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, and Texas hosts New Mexico State on Thursday.
