Solo Ball, No. 3 UConn blow past Columbia with first-half surge

Solo Ball scored a team-high 23 points to lead No. 3 UConn to an 89-62 win over Columbia on Monday night in Storrs, Conn.

Ball and Alex Karaban (20 points, six rebounds, four assists) combined for 5 of the 10 3-pointers for the Huskies (3-0), who shot 56.6% from the floor and led by as many as 29.

The UConn lead was 50-27 at halftime before Tarris Reed Jr. scored 13 of his 19 points after the break while pulling down eight rebounds and recording two blocks and three steals.

Jayden Ross (10 points) rounded out double-digit scorers for UConn, which has won 36 straight non-conference home games including three in a row to begin this season.

Miles Franklin and Blair Thompson scored 10 points apiece, and Mason Ritter pulled down seven rebounds for Columbia (1-1).

Columbia trailed just 14-13 after an early 6-2 lead on the strength of back-to-back 3-pointers by Thompson and Zine Eddine Bedri.

The middle of that span featured the first key swing in UConn's direction though, with Karaban scoring seven straight points to begin an 8-0 spurt.

A 14-0 run across six-plus minutes changed the game for good, giving the hosts a 28-13 lead with 6:30 left in the half. Ross hit two threes during the segment, including a transition shot to trigger a timeout for Columbia, which was in the midst of an 0-for-10 stretch.

After the visitors sank two of the next three baskets, the Huskies extended their lead to 24 with another double-digit run of 11 straight points. Three UConn players nailed a 3-pointer before Karaban made a steal and dunk in transition to extend the advantage to 41-17.

The Huskies were 6-of-8 at the foul line in the first four minutes of the second half. Reed highlighted that stretch with a tough driving finish.

Just past the halfway point of the half, Franklin scored consecutive Columbia buckets including a two-handed, fastbreak dunk with 7:49 left, temporarily bringing the deficit inside 20 points at 69-50.

Ball's steal-and-score helped a late 10-2 run back UConn's way. He banged in a 3-pointer for a 29-point Husky lead with 2:25 left.

--Field Level Media