No. 5 UConn men’s basketball holds on in thriller at Allen Fieldhouse for first-ever win over Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Allen Fieldhouse pressure cooker was no match for UConn freshman Braylon Mullins on Tuesday night.

The freshman, playing in just his second college game, was comfortable amidst the chaos. Up three with 10 seconds to play, he grabbed the rebound off a missed Kansas layup, drew the intentional foul and sunk two free throws to cap off a breakout performance and seal UConn’s first-ever win in five all-time meetings with Kansas, 61-56.

It was only Kansas’ second loss in 15 games at Allen Fieldhouse against top-five teams under Bill Self.

And Mullins, matching Solo Ball with a team-high 17 points, had a lot to do with it. He made 6 of 12 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and grabbed five rebounds. Ball was 6 of 13 from the field, also with three triples. Alex Karaban scored nine of his 11 points in the second half and Eric Reibe, another freshman making his fourth start in place of Tarris Reed Jr. this season, held his own again with 12 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

Rattled a bit by the noise, UConn (7-1) turned the ball over twice on its first three possessions before Ball got going. The junior started his night at the free throw line after a transition attempt off a Silas Demary Jr. steal and made his first two jump shots, one from inside the arc, one from outside, to match the Jayhawks and account for the Huskies’ first seven points.

Mullins landed his first college 3-pointer midway through the first half before Elmarko Jackson responded with eight consecutive points for the Jayhawks. The Huskies’ freshman had an answer with a putback layup, then quieted Allen Fieldhouse with his second 3-pointer to bring the Huskies to within three.

Aside from the sharpshooting duo, UConn’s shot selection and timing was a bit off in the echo-chamber of the sold-out crowd. The Huskies were able to get some good looks but shot just 4-of-14 from beyond the arc in the first half.

Without Reed’s presence in the paint as a rebounder and a defender, the Jayhawks built a seven point lead with three straight baskets inside, including an alley-oop to center Flory Bidunga. The final points of the half came on a Ball transition 3-pointer with two minutes left and UConn’s deficit was 33-29 at the break.

Kansas scored nine of its first 11 points from the free throw line to start the second half. But Karaban, who had just two points on 1-for-4 shooting before the break, scored seven points in a row and gave the Huskies their first lead, 45-44, since the score was 9-7 less than five minutes in.

Ball pushed the lead to six from beyond the arc with five and a half minutes to play and the contingent of UConn fans and families made themselves heard from the corner of the historic arena. Kansas certainly wasn’t going down quietly in its home cathedral. Bidunga slammed in a dunk and Melvin Council Jr. nailed a 3-pointer to cut the Jayhawks’ deficit to one and burst some ear drums.

Reibe rolled to the basket for a layup and Karaban finished one of his own to push the lead back to five with just less than two minutes to play.