Solo Ball scores career-high 26 to power No. 5 UConn past Butler 79-60 in Huskies' Big East opener
AP
Dec 16, 2025
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Solo Ball scored a career-high 26 points and Tarris Reed Jr. added 16 as No. 5 UConn began Big East play Tuesday night with a 79-60 victory over Butler Bulldogs.
Jayden Ross had 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Braylon Mullins scored 12. The tenacious Huskies (11-1, 1-0) held Butler 30 points below its season average after the Bulldogs entered shooting 49% from the field.
Drayton Jones had nine of his 13 points in the first half for Butler (8-3, 1-1). Azavier Robinson and Evan Haywood finished with 10 apiece.
UConn improved to 12-0 against Butler. Their first meeting came in the 2011 NCAA championship game.
The Bulldogs made five of their first eight shots but missed 20 of the next 23 before Michael Ajayi's putback beat the halftime buzzer.
Butler missed its first 11 attempts in the second half before Haywood hit a corner 3-pointer with 14:24 left. Before that, Butler was shooting just 21%.
But then the Bulldogs hit five of seven shots with a trio of 3s to cut into the UConn lead. The Bulldogs were within 11 when Mullins grabbed a tough rebound and got the ball ahead to Silas Demary Jr., who set up Ross' dunk for one of his 11 assists. On the next Huskies possession, Ross assisted on Reed's dunk.
The most memorable offensive rebound in the game came when Ross soared above the rim to slam home a missed shot by Ball.
Butler used a 9-0 spurt to take an early seven-point lead, but Mullins, Ball and Reed combined for 15 points during a 17-3 run by the Huskies.
Butler plays Northwestern in the Indy Classic on Saturday.
UConn visits DePaul on Sunday.
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1st Half
BUT
Bulldogs
25
UCONN
Huskies
39
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
(Huskies gains possession)
19:44
+2
Tarris Reed Jr. makes two point alley-oop dunk (Silas Demary Jr. assists)
0-2
19:35
+2
Drayton Jones makes two point dunk (Azavier Robinson assists)
2-2
19:20
Tarris Reed Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Michael Ajayi steals)
19:09
Solo Ball blocks Finley Bizjack's two point layup
19:07
Tarris Reed Jr. defensive rebound
19:03
Braylon Mullins turnover (bad pass)
18:49
+2
Drayton Jones makes two point layup (Jamie Kaiser Jr. assists)
4-2
18:24
Tarris Reed Jr. misses two point hook shot
18:22
Jamie Kaiser Jr. defensive rebound
18:14
Jamie Kaiser Jr. misses three point jump shot
18:12
Silas Demary Jr. defensive rebound
18:04
Silas Demary Jr. turnover (lost ball) (Drayton Jones steals)
17:57
+3
Finley Bizjack makes three point jump shot (Azavier Robinson assists)
7-2
17:33
Tarris Reed Jr. misses two point hook shot
17:31
Drayton Jones defensive rebound
17:19
Braylon Mullins personal foul
17:07
Tarris Reed Jr. blocks Michael Ajayi's two point layup
17:05
Michael Ajayi offensive rebound
17:00
+2
Michael Ajayi makes two point layup
9-2
16:38
+2
Tarris Reed Jr. makes two point hook shot
9-4
16:29
+2
Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor makes two point dunk
11-4
15:59
Tarris Reed Jr. turnover (lost ball)
15:59
TV timeout
15:50
Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor turnover (lost ball)
15:36
+2
Alex Karaban makes two point layup (Silas Demary Jr. assists)
11-6
15:16
Eric Reibe blocks Michael Ajayi's two point layup
15:14
Eric Reibe defensive rebound
14:57
Jamie Kaiser Jr. shooting foul (Solo Ball draws the foul)
14:57
Solo Ball misses regular free throw 1 of 2
14:57
+1
Solo Ball makes regular free throw 2 of 2
11-7
14:46
Jamie Kaiser Jr. misses three point jump shot
14:44
Eric Reibe defensive rebound
14:25
Silas Demary Jr. misses two point jump shot
14:23
Solo Ball offensive rebound
14:22
+2
Solo Ball makes two point layup
11-9
14:05
Eric Reibe blocks Yohan Traore's two point layup
14:03
Eric Reibe defensive rebound
13:57
Jayden Ross misses three point jump shot
13:55
Alex Karaban offensive rebound
13:55
Jamie Kaiser Jr. personal foul
13:50
Solo Ball misses three point jump shot
13:48
Michael Ajayi defensive rebound
13:42
Finley Bizjack misses three point jump shot
13:40
Malachi Smith defensive rebound
13:27
+2
Solo Ball makes two point layup (Eric Reibe assists)
11-11
13:06
Alex Karaban blocks Drayton Jones's two point layup
13:06
Drayton Jones offensive rebound
13:00
+2
Evan Haywood makes two point layup (Drayton Jones assists)
13-11
12:25
Huskies turnover (shot clock violation)
12:00
Michael Ajayi misses two point jump shot
11:58
Solo Ball defensive rebound
11:58
Michael Ajayi personal foul
11:58
TV timeout
11:28
Azavier Robinson shooting foul (Malachi Smith draws the foul)
11:28
Malachi Smith misses regular free throw 1 of 3
11:28
Malachi Smith misses regular free throw 2 of 3
11:28
Malachi Smith misses regular free throw 3 of 3
11:28
Azavier Robinson defensive rebound
11:19
Braylon Mullins blocks Azavier Robinson's two point layup
11:17
Malachi Smith defensive rebound
11:17
Michael Ajayi personal foul
11:08
+2
Tarris Reed Jr. makes two point hook shot
13-13
10:50
Tarris Reed Jr. blocks Azavier Robinson's two point layup
10:48
Braylon Mullins defensive rebound
10:40
Jaylin Stewart misses three point jump shot
10:38
Drayton Jones defensive rebound
10:26
Tarris Reed Jr. shooting foul (Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor draws the foul)
10:26
Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor misses regular free throw 1 of 2
10:26
+1
Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor makes regular free throw 2 of 2