Braylon Mullins scored 23 points and connected on 10 of 11 free throws to help No. 4 UConn beat No. 16 Michigan 85-77 on Friday night in a rematch of last season’s NCAA championship game.
Silas Demary Jr. finished with 21 points and seven rebounds. Colben Landrew added 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Huskies (2-0) at TD Garden, home to the Celtics.
Michigan (1-1) got within single digits in the final minute, but the Huskies closed it out at the foul line.
In last season’s title game, the Wolverines held off UConn 69-63 despite making only two 3-pointers.
This time, Michigan again struggled from beyond the arc, going 7 of 28. But the Wolverines couldn’t keep up with a Huskies team that led by 18 in the first half. UConn connected on nine 3s and shot 42 percent from the field overall, compared to 41 percent by Michigan.
Trey McKenney, a key contributor in the championship game, shot 8 of 18 from the floor and led the Wolverines with 22 points. J.P. Estrella had 19 points and nine rebounds, and Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 18.
Elliot Cadeau, the Most Outstanding Player of last April’s Final Four, chipped in eight points before fouling out late.
It was the first loss for Mike Boynton Jr., in his first season since being elevated from Michigan assistant to head coach. He took over after Dusty May left following last season’s NCAA title to coach the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.
Playing without a pair of NBA first-round draft picks that carried the Huskies during their March Madness run last season, UConn dictated most of the action in the opening 20 minutes, forcing 11 Michigan turnovers.
The Huskies were leading 32-28 with just under five minutes to go before the break when the bench was called for a technical foul.
That enraged coach Dan Hurley, who briefly walked onto the court before being pulled back by his assistants. It served as a spark for his players, who closed the period on an 11-2 run to take a 13-point lead into halftime.
Up next
Michigan hosts Marquette on Wednesday.
UConn hosts Wagner on Monday.