12/02/25 11:15:00
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12/02 23:10 CST Braylon Mullins' breakout performance lifts No. 5 UConn over
No. 21 Kansas 61-56 at Allen Fieldhouse
Braylon Mullins' breakout performance lifts No. 5 UConn over No. 21 Kansas
61-56 at Allen Fieldhouse
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Basketball Writer
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) --- UConn fans had been eagerly anticipating the day
Braylon Mullins could truly step onto the court for them.
The five-star freshman rewarded their patience when the Huskies needed it most.
Mullins hit a trio of 3-pointers and scored 17 points, blocked a layup by
Kansas guard Jamari McDowell in the closing seconds, then sealed fifth-ranked
UConn's 61-56 win over the No. 21 Jayhawks with a pair of clutch free throws
Tuesday night.
It was a breakout performance for Mullins, who had been dealing with an ankle
injury for most of the season. He had scored just two points while playing a
total of 10 minutes in his debut last week, a 74-61 victory over then-No. 13
Illinois at Madison Square Garden.
"There's been a lot of impressive freshman performances. Obviously this is an
impressive freshman class," UConn coach Dan Hurley said. "But the injuries he's
had, and his second college game --- he put us in position to win this game.
"Obviously this was the first step for him," Hurley added, "and he's going to
make our team better moving forward."
Hard to imagine that. The Huskies (7-1) already have three wins over ranked
opponents this season, and their victory in one of the toughest venues in
college basketball came without big man Tarris Reed Jr., who has been dealing
with an ankle injury of his own.
Mullins didn't have to do it alone. Solo Ball scored 17 points, keying the
comeback from a seven-point deficit in the second half. Eric Reibe added 12
while helping UConn dominate the boards late. And veteran Alex Karaban scored
11 points while wiping away the bitter memories he had of a loss inside Allen
Fieldhouse nearly two years ago to the day.
"Having played here before, I kind of knew what to expect," Karaban said. "This
is the hardest place I've ever played in my college career. I knew that going
in, and I was mentally prepared for that."
Mullins had some idea what to expect, too. The guard from Greenfield, Indiana,
was heavily recruited by Kansas, and Mullins even had the Jayhawks --- along
with UConn and several other big-name programs --- on his pared-down list of a
final 10 suitors.
"Everybody knows he can shoot. I thought he looked athletic," said Jayhawks
coach Bill Self, who was missing his own star freshman, Darryn Peterson, for
the seventh straight game because of a lingering hamstring injury. "I thought
he played with bounce. He backed us down one time and I don't know who he shot
it over --- I think he shot it over 6-10, and it didn't affect him."
Mullins was a bit slow off the bench, missing his first 3-point attempt. But he
came right back and drilled one two possessions later, then added another later
in the first half, before pouring on the offense as the Huskies rallied over
the final 20 minutes.
It was a night Mullins will never forget. And one that portends big things for
UConn going forward.
"The first four minutes I was in, the nerves were going, just to get my feet
wet a little bit," he admitted, "but as the game went along, just play
basketball. At the end of the day, it's a child's game. We got some stuff done
and got the win."
___
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