February 28, 2026; Storage, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) spends some time on the court with head coach Dan Hurley after defeating the Seton Hall Pirates at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images No. 4 UConn will lose everything when the Huskies close out the regular season Saturday against Marquette in Milwaukee.
UConn can secure at least a share of the Big East title and stay in the mix for a possible No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed by beating Marquette and coming off a break to get into Wisconsin.
UConn (27-3, 17-2 Big East) has been quiet since last Saturday’s 71-67 home win over Seton Hall. The Huskies sit atop the conference with No. 18 St. John’s on Friday at Seton Hall.
Marquette (11-19, 6-13 Big East) won 78-56 at Providence on the 19th for its second win in three games.
UConn overcame an eight-point second-half deficit to surge past Seton Hall. Alex Caravan scored a season-high 23 points, including five 3-pointers, and Taris Reed Jr. recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards to lead the Huskies to their third straight win and fifth place in six games.
“We had to find our way late for a team that came into this game needing a win to get into an NCAA Tournament type of mindset,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said afterward. “And to get down late and come back and win… this team is called 27 and 3.”
The Huskies, who won back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024, averaged 78.7 points per game, 65.2 points per game and 18.6 assists per game, ranking eighth in the nation.
UConn’s balanced offense has five scorers in double figures, led by Solo Ball at 14.1 per game. Reed averaged 13.7 points along with a team-high 7.9 rebounds. Karaban added 13.3 points, Braylon Mullins added 12.1 points and Silas Demary Jr. added 10.9 points.
Marquette’s freshman backcourt duo of Adrien Stevens and Nigel James Jr. led the Golden Eagles past Providence. Stevens scored a season-high 21 points, and James had 20 points and seven rebounds, marking his 10th game with 20 or more points.
“I thought our guys did a great job of getting their hands on the basketball from the start of the game,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said after the game. “It made a big difference for us because it disrupted some of the things they were trying to do.”
The Golden Eagles averaged 75.0 points and gave up 75.8 points. Marquette has struggled on the glass, being outrebounded by 4.2 points per game.
James leads the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game, while Chase Ross adds 14.2 and Royce Parham 12.1. Ben Gold is the top rebounder with 5.7 per contest.
Nine of Marquette’s 11 wins have come at home.
UConn won the first meeting 73-57 in early January behind Ball’s 17 points and a 49-37 advantage.
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