Uconn Pulls Away From Ohio State Behind Mullins’ Lead

WHO:

CBS Sports - UConn head coach Dan Hurley said, “We’re UConn. We’re dealing with some medical stuff — [and] not just with Nik. But, you know, we’ve just got a culture and a mindset.”

Eleven Warriors - Ohio State’s Jimmie Williams led the Buckeyes with 17 points off the bench, including nine consecutive Ohio State points in the second half. John Mobley Jr. scored 16.

Eleven Warriors - UConn’s Braylon Mullins scored 22 points; Na’jai Hines had 20; Silas Demary Jr. scored 10 and recorded nine assists.

Eleven Warriors - Hurley described Ohio State as having “some great pieces” and said it would “take a little bit of time to gel.”

Eleven Warriors - UConn was without Duke transfer Nik Khamenia. He was averaging 10.7 points per game while shooting 62%.

WHAT:

CBS Sports - UConn defeated Ohio State 84-68. Mullins led all scorers, shooting 7-for-13 and making five three-pointers.

Eleven Warriors - Ohio State trailed 42-40 at halftime, then UConn used a 20-4 run to lead 69-56 with 8:46 remaining. UConn won the second half 42-28.

Eleven Warriors - UConn opened with a 9-0 run to lead 25-13; Ohio State later had a 13-1 run to close the first half. Mobley ended that run with a step-back three-pointer as time expired.

CBS Sports - UConn remained No. 2 in CBS Sports’ Top 25 And 1 rankings, with a 4-0 record. Florida was No. 1 after improving to 4-0 with an 83-54 win over Merrimack.

CBS Sports - Hurley was ranked No. 1 and Florida coach Todd Golden No. 4 in CBS Sports’ ranking of college basketball’s best coaches.

WHERE:

Eleven Warriors - The game was played at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut. Ohio State’s next game is at the Schottenstein Center.

CBS Sports - UConn’s next game is at Arizona; the article also identifies a potential game against Illinois in Chicago.

WHEN:

Eleven Warriors - Ohio State’s next game is against Prairie View A&M at 6:30 on Monday.

CBS Sports - UConn’s upcoming seven-game stretch includes games against Arizona, Duke and Illinois.

Eleven Warriors - Khamenia was expected to be sidelined for 6–8 weeks and undergo left-foot surgery the following week.

WHY:

CBS Sports - UConn began a demanding seven-game stretch featuring five games against power-conference opponents projected to reach the 2027 NCAA Tournament. The article said a projected 5-2 record would require UConn to win at least one game it was not favored to win.

CBS Sports - Khamenia’s absence followed a left-foot injury suffered in UConn’s win over Wagner.

HOW:

Eleven Warriors - UConn pulled away after halftime with its 20-4 scoring run.

Eleven Warriors - Ohio State’s Josh Ojianwuna tripped over the ball, grabbed his left knee, and later returned after playing two minutes in the first half. John Mobley Jr. and Silas Demary Jr. each had two early first-half fouls; Lee Aaliya missed his second consecutive game.

Eleven Warriors - Mullins limped off with fewer than five minutes remaining, then returned to the bench after using a stationary bike. Williams received a technical foul with fewer than two minutes left.

UConn pulled away from Ohio State after halftime, winning 84 to 68 behind Braylon Mullins’ 22 points. A 20-to-4 second-half run turned the game around after Ohio State led at halftime. UConn remains undefeated, though it played without injured transfer Nik Khamenia.