UConn basketball moves to 6-0 in Big East play following win over DePaul.
UConn basketball continues it’s excellent start to the season as they made their 2026 return to PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford against DePaul.
UConn basketball turned it up on defense, holding DePaul to 1/10 shooting during a stretch in the middle of the first half which UConn used to build their lead up to 10 points.
DePaul bounced back and used their defense to spark their offense, scoring 5 quick points off steals to cut UConn’s lead to just 4 following the under 4 minute timeout.
UConn basketball finished the half strong hitting 6 of their last 9 field goals to take a 37-27 lead into the break.
The Huskies came out strong in the second half, building up a 16 point cushion in the first few minutes of action as Solo Ball scored a quick 5 points after what was a scoreless first half for UConn’s leading scorer.
UConn basketball led comfortably the remainder of the game in what was a much needed ho-hum victory, a stark contrast to last game’s thriller over Providence.
Following this 72-60 victory over DePaul, UConn has now won 12 straight games and has started off Big East play 6-0.
UConn basketball continues to dominate the series against DePaul, having won 23 straight matchups over the Blue Demons.
6-0 ✅ pic.twitter.com/du0tuKJZBp
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) January 10, 2026
UConn basketball defense bounces back.
After Providence gashed the UConn defense last game it was a concern if that would be an aberration or if that would be a sign of what may come.
UConn answered this question as they held DePaul to 60 points, much below their season average of 73.7 points per game.
The only other game DePaul has scored less points in this season was back on December 21 where they scored 54 points… also against this UConn team.
UConn keeps looking better on the defensive side of the ball as they boast the 5th ranked defense according to KenPom.
Silas Demary Jr. continues to wreak havoc for the opposition as he finished with 3 of UConn’s 12 steals.
Defense will continue to be their calling card and will help them in the upcoming Big East Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
The bench struggles continue.
This game was not as close as the final score would indicate as UConn allowed DePaul to cut into the lead during garbage time.
Coach Dan Hurley was not pleased with the bench’s performance at the end of the game as they struggled to close out the game.
“Having to put the starters back in… that was b******t… I didn’t like how they handled that,” said Hurley postgame.
DePaul was able to cut a 23 point lead down to 12 as time expired which was not what UConn basketball wanted to see from their bench.
This has now been two straight games with limited bench production. Last game against Providence, UConn finished with only 3 bench points which is shocking considering the team scored 103 points.
This was now followed up with 12 points in the win against DePaul, and Eric Reibe lead the bench scoring with 6 points, all in the second half.
Game flow as well as certain players returning from injury have altered minutes distribution which Dan Hurley mentioned after the game.
He hopes to get Jayden Ross, Jaylin Stewart, and Malachi Smith’s minutes back up as the season continues to progress which would be huge if those players are able to produce at the extremely high level like they were at the beginning of the season.
This is something to keep an eye on as UConn’s conference schedule gets tougher during this middle portion of Big East play. UConn will need the bench to play well in order to offload some of the pressure from the starters.
Next for the UConn Huskies: @ Seton Hall (Tues., Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. EST)
Next for DePaul: vs. Marquette (Sat., Jan. 16 at 8:30 p.m. EST)