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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.
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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.”
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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…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/braylon-mullins-breakout-performance-lifts-051057252.html
Author : DAVE SKRETTA
Publish date : 2025-12-03 05:10:00
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