December 21, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Connecticut Huskies forward Alex Caravan (11) celebrates after the first half of the game against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Image Alex Karavan scored 21 points and Liam McNealy added 17 to help No. 11 UConn avoid an upset at Butler 78-74 on Saturday in Indianapolis.
The Huskies (10-3) have won their sixth straight game.
The Bulldogs (7-6) got within two points in the final minute, but two consecutive 3-pointers by Karaban gave UConn a five-point advantage, 74-69, with 59 seconds left to play.
The Huskies then knocked down all four free throws (two by Hassan Diarra with 15 seconds left and two by McNealy with 6 seconds left) to ice the game.
Butler fought back from a 16-point deficit late in the second half to tie the game. The Bulldogs had less than two minutes to play with eight seconds to play.
Andre Screen led Butler with a career-high 17 points with 10 rebounds. Patrick McCaffery also scored 17 points and Pierre Brooks II added 13.
Connecticut took an early lead thanks in part to the Bulldogs’ Jahmyl Telfort missing his first six shots from the floor before being benched.
But Butler rebounded and cut the deficit to six as UConn missed 6 of 7 from the floor.
Telfort then came off the bench and scored five points, including a 3-pointer to pull Butler to within three late in the first half.
The Huskies then countered with a 6-0 run, with the Bulldogs missing seven of eight shots. UConn led 42-33 at the break.
UConn shot exactly 50% from the floor in the first half (16 of 32), six of them from deep. Butler held the position with just one turnover, a category that has given the Bulldogs problems this season.
In the second half, Butler went down and got back up several times.
The Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run to get within five points at 51-46. The Huskies responded, jumping back into double digits, but Butler wouldn’t quit.
Butler’s separate 8-0 run tied the game at 63 with 4:43 left in regulation.
UConn remains undefeated against Butler in program history and improves to 10-0 with all 10 matchups played since 2011.
–Field level media
