UConn defeated BYU 86-84 in a thrilling Hall of Fame Series game at Boston's TD Garden on Saturday. The Huskies built a 20-point lead but had to withstand a late Cougars comeback. The victory improves UConn to 4-0 and boosts them to No. 3 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 rankings.
UConn started strong in their matchup against BYU, leading by as many as 20 points and holding a 59-39 advantage with 14:47 remaining in the second half. However, BYU mounted a furious rally, outscoring the Huskies 45-27 over the final stretch to make it a one-point game at the buzzer.
Tarris Reed Jr., Alex Karaban and Silas Demary each scored 21 points for UConn, powering the team's offense. The trio is averaging at least 13.0 points per game this season. BYU's freshman standout AJ Dybantsa led all scorers with 25 points, showcasing his scoring prowess. Dybantsa is averaging 20.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists through four games, shooting 57.4% from the field and 40.0% from 3-point range.
UConn coach Dan Hurley praised his team's early dominance but acknowledged the late struggles. "I thought we looked like an awesome team for 25 minutes -- [but] obviously the last 15 minutes we just kind of hung on and weren't very good against pressure," Hurley said. He also credited BYU's resilience: "But I credit BYU. Those guys showed some real fight today. They could have walked out of here, lost by 20 easily. But those guys dug their heels in and showed that [BYU's Kevin Young] is a heckuva coach -- and they've got a real culture and a real chance to compete for championships."
Hurley was impressed by Dybantsa: "That's as high a level of shot-making as you're going to see in college basketball. He had the whole bag going."
The win catapults UConn to No. 3 in the updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1, with Purdue holding steady at No. 1 and BYU climbing to No. 4. UConn faces a tough slate ahead, including Arizona on Wednesday, followed by games against Illinois on Nov. 28 and Kansas on Dec. 2.