HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Solo Ball scored a career-high 26 points and Tarris Reed Jr. added 16 as No. 5 UConn began Big East play Tuesday night with a 79-60 victory over Butler.
Jayden Ross had 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Braylon Mullins scored 12. The tenacious Huskies (11-1, 1-0) held Butler 30 points below its season average after the Bulldogs entered shooting 49% from the field.
Drayton Jones had nine of his 13 points in the first half for Butler (8-3, 1-1). Azavier Robinson and Evan Haywood finished with 10 apiece.
UConn improved to 12-0 against Butler. Their first meeting came in the 2011 NCAA championship game.
The Bulldogs made five of their first eight shots but missed 20 of the next 23 before Michael Ajayi's putback beat the halftime buzzer.
Butler missed its first 11 attempts in the second half before Haywood hit a corner 3-pointer with 14:24 left. Before that, Butler was shooting just 21%.
But then the Bulldogs hit five of seven shots with a trio of 3s to cut into the UConn lead. The Bulldogs were within 11 when Mullins grabbed a tough rebound and got the ball ahead to Silas Demary Jr., who set up Ross' dunk for one of his 11 assists. On the next Huskies possession, Ross assisted on Reed's dunk.
The most memorable offensive rebound in the game came when Ross soared above the rim to slam home a missed shot by Ball.
Butler used a 9-0 spurt to take an early seven-point lead, but Mullins, Ball and Reed combined for 15 points during a 17-3 run by the Huskies.
Up next
Butler plays Northwestern in the Indy Classic on Saturday.
UConn visits DePaul on Sunday.
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