Braylon Mullins scored 22 points, including five 3-pointers, before leaving the court with an injury in the second half as No. 4 UConn defeated Ohio State 84-68 on Friday night in Hartford. Mullins limped off with 6:07 remaining and went straight to the stationary bike he has used during games this season when sidelined.
Na'jai Hines added 20 points for the Huskies, scoring 17 of them after halftime. Freshman Colben Landrew contributed 12 points in his first start, while Silas Demary Jr. came close to a double-double with 10 points and nine assists.
Ohio State closed a 14-point gap early in the second half and held the lead five times in the opening minutes of the session. Jimmie Williams led the Buckeyes with 17 points, and John Mobley Jr. scored 16. The Buckeyes trailed 42-40 at halftime after a late Mobley 3-pointer, capping a 13-1 run that erased UConn’s early double-digit lead.
The Huskies had trouble scoring late in the first half, failing to make a field goal in the final 4:18 before the break. UConn’s Demary picked up his second foul with 12:59 left in the first half and sat out until the second half began. He returned despite a third foul with 17:08 remaining.
With the game tied and time winding down, Mullins scored five straight points for UConn. Jayden Ross then hit a 3-pointer at 13:57 to push the lead beyond Ohio State’s reach. The Huskies maintained control from that point onward.
UConn played without starting forward Nik Khamenia, who is sidelined with a foot injury suffered in Monday’s game against Wagner and will miss several weeks.
Ohio State will host Prairie View A&M on Monday, while UConn faces No. 12 Arizona on Wednesday.
According to Yahoo Sports.
