Arizona survives in Storrs, beating UConn basketball 71-67.
It has been quite the four day stretch for UConn basketball as they go from playing, at the time, seventh ranked BYU at TD Garden in Boston to playing the currently fourth ranked Arizona Wildcats in Storrs. This is all part of the gauntlet that Dan Hurley planned to put his team through and it’s surely been quite the test.
The latest matchup with Arizona had all of the hype going into it. UConn dubbed it both a white-out game and $2 beer night which certainly set the stage for a loud home crowd. Even the last minute of news of Tarris Reed Jr. missing tonight (ankle injury) didn’t stop the fans from making a ton of noise throughout the pregame festivities.
Once the game started, Arizona did all they could to keep Gampel and the Huskies in check. For the most part, they accomplished just that. Anytime the Huskies built some momentum, the Wildcats responded in equal or more force.
At the end of the first half, Arizona was outrebounding the Huskies by 12 and finished the game with a 43 to 23 advantage on the glass. The Wildcats are a physically imposing team and the absence of Reed Jr. gave them the perfect opportunity to capitalize on it.
Arizona led for 33 minutes and 42 seconds of the contest which really put the pressure on UConn basketball to figure out something that worked. Despite what, at times, felt like a one-sided affair, the Huskies managed to claw back from a 13-point deficit to take the lead with 2:16 to play.
In the end, Arizona’s Jaden Bradley scored the clinching bucket with 16.3 seconds remaining to seal the deal. Bradley finished as the leading scorer in the contest with 21 points as Arizona secured their second win of the season against an AP Top 3 ranked team.
UConn’s struggles
UConn basketball’s biggest struggles right now aren’t even on the court, it’s in the training room. No one was expecting star Freshman Braylon Mullins to suit up for this one, but the Tarris Reed Jr. injury announcement caught most by surprise.
For the sake of Wednesday night’s action on the court, it was clear that the rebounding and free throws are what cost the Huskies the game. Being outrebounding by 20 and going 9 for 18 at the free throw line is a recipe for disaster.
Dan Hurley on tonight’s rebounding effort: “There’s going to be a bad film session coming out of here… we’re going to see a lot of clips where there’s guys not in the fight with their teammates” pic.twitter.com/5zq2P8AoNn
— Step Back Cardiac Review (@CardiacCTReview) November 20, 2025
It was known that this Arizona team did not rely on the three-point shot to get their points, yet the Huskies could not stop them from penetrating and getting to the rim. It was simply a physical mismatch for most of the night.
Arizona’s frontcourt
Injuries aside, Arizona’s big men had a phenomenal night and are going to be a matchup nightmare for any team in the country. Forward Koa Peat (16 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists) is a freshman who looks like a seasoned veteran and is destined for a top pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Peat seemed calm and steady in what could perhaps be the most hostile crowd that he’ll play in front of during his college career.
Motiejus Krivas, the Wildcats Center, also had a standout performance scoring 9 points and grabbing 14 rebounds which was the same amount of rebounds as UConn basketball’s entire starting lineup. Those two players are a force when on the court together and are going to be a big part of the success that Arizona has this season.
Where do the Huskies go from here
A huge positive from this game is the performance that freshman Eric Reibe had, especially considering that he (officially) got the starting nod just 30 minutes before tipoff. Reibe finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and went 2 for 5 from three-point range.
Dan Hurley spoke on Eric Reibe’s performance saying, “Tonight is going to do a lot for [Eric’s] confidence. When [Tarris] gets back we’re going to have that two tandem center that’s potentially going to be as good as it was in those championship years”
While Reibe certainly appeared to shoulder the burden of the loss after the game, what he did on Wednesday night is going to go a long way towards turning him into the player that this team needs him to be.
Up next for UConn basketball: vs. Bryant (Sun., Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. EST)
Up next for Arizona: vs. Denver (Sun., Nov. 24 at 10:30 p.m. EST)