Braylon Mullins made an immediate impact for No. 4 UConn, draining five 3-pointers and scoring 22 points before he limped off the court late in the second half against Ohio State. His early shooting helped UConn build a double-digit lead, and his scoring burst after a close second-half stretch helped secure an 84-68 victory for the Huskies on Friday night in Hartford.
Na'jai Hines took over in the second half, scoring 17 of his 20 points as UConn maintained control after Ohio State erased a 14-point deficit and briefly took the lead multiple times early in the second half. Freshman Colben Landrew added 12 points in his first career start, while Silas Demary Jr. contributed 10 points and nine assists.
Ohio State fought back in the first half after falling behind early. The Buckeyes closed the half on a 13-1 run, with John Mobley Jr. hitting a 3-pointer in the final seconds to pull Ohio State within 42-40 at halftime. UConn had not scored a field goal in the final 4:18 of the opening half. The Buckeyes took their first lead 1:14 into the second half on a Justin Pippen 3-pointer, trading baskets with the Huskies during the first five minutes after the break.
With the game tied and the Huskies trailing by two points early in the second half, Mullins scored five straight points before Jayden Ross hit a 3-pointer at the 13:57 mark. UConn did not fall behind again. Ohio State’s Jimmie Williams led the Buckeyes with 17 points, while Mobley added 16.
Demary picked up his second foul late in the first half and sat out the remainder of the period but returned at the start of the second. He stayed in despite picking up his third foul with just over 17 minutes remaining. UConn was without starting forward Nik Khamenia, who suffered a foot injury in Monday’s win over Wagner and is expected to miss several weeks.
Mullins’ exit came with 6:07 left. He fell to the court and hobbled off to the stationary bike he has used when sidelined this season. The Huskies managed to hold their lead comfortably through the final minutes.
UConn improved to 4-0 with the win and will face No. 12 Arizona on Wednesday. Ohio State dropped to 2-2 and will host Prairie View A&M on Monday.
According to Yahoo Sports.
