CHICAGO — Solo Ball delivered an impressive performance, hitting seven three-pointers and scoring 22 points, guiding No. 11 UConn to an 81-68 victory over DePaul on Wednesday night. This win marks the Huskies’ seventh consecutive triumph.

Alex Karaban contributed significantly with 18 points, helping UConn (11-3, 3-0 Big East) bounce back after facing three straight losses at the Maui Invitational. The Huskies managed to secure the road victory despite the absence of Liam McNeeley, who left the game with an ankle injury in the second half. Coach Dan Hurley mentioned that the freshman forward would undergo an MRI the following day.

For DePaul, Conor Enright stood out with 18 points and nine assists, but the team suffered its 19th loss in a row against UConn. Jacob Meyer complemented the effort with 12 points. The Blue Demons mounted a challenge, closing the gap to 61-52 after a 7-0 scoring surge with just under eight minutes left. However, UConn’s Jayden Ross blocked a layup from Troy D’Amico, which led to Karaban sinking a crucial three-pointer to regain control.

After CJ Gunn scored a layup for DePaul, Ball responded with another three-pointer, widening UConn’s lead to 70-54 with six minutes remaining.

Key Insights:
For UConn, Hassan Diarra, while only scoring seven points, played a vital role with his quickness and athleticism, recording nine assists against just one turnover. DePaul’s performance under new coach Chris Holtmann has shown improvement, but the disparity in talent fairly remains when competing against the top teams in the Big East.

Turning Point:
The first half ended strongly for UConn, as they finished with a 9-2 run, and Ball’s three-pointer in the final moments extended their lead to 43-22 at halftime.

Stats Highlights:
UConn excelled from beyond the arc, successfully making 14 of 29 three-point attempts, in stark contrast to DePaul’s 3 of 12. The Blue Demons had come into the matchup averaging 11.6 made three-pointers per game.

Next Matchups:
UConn is set to host Providence on Sunday, while DePaul will visit Villanova on Saturday.