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After a brief absence in 2025, UConn is back in the Sweet 16.
No. 2 seed UConn held off a game 7th-seeded UCLA team playing without All Big Ten forward Tyler Bilodeau (knee) for a 73-57 win on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
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With the win, UConn advances to the tournament’s second weekend for the third time in four seasons. Its previous two Sweet 16 trips led to national championships before a second-round loss to eventual champion Florida ended UConn’s 3-peat dreams last March.
Now it’s back in the Sweet 16, gunning for another national championship.
Alex Karaban’s career high paces Huskies
UCLA put up a fight despite playing without its best player and rode a 6-0 run to start the first half to a 39-38 lead. UConn punched back later in the half with a 14-0 run featuring two Alex Karaban 3s to reseize control, 56-44.
Another 9-0 UConn run thwarted UCLA’s last gasp, and the Huskies mantained control down the stretch.
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Alex Karaban, who starred on both of those national title teams, finished with a career-high 27 points alongside 5 rebounds. He shot 9 of 16 from the floor and 4 of 8 from 3. Tarris Reed Jr. followed up a monster 31-point, 27-rebound effort in the first round against Furman with a more modest double-double, posting 10 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks and 1 steal.
The Bruins countered with four starters in double figures, led by Xavier Booker’s 13 points and 5 rebounds. But without Bilodeau, they were overwhelmed by UConn’s repeated waves, and their season ends short of the Sweet 16.
UConn, meanwhile, advances to a heavyweight Sweet 16 matchup against a third-seeded Michigan State team that also has its sights set on a national title.
