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UConn men’s basketball rolls past Purdue, 76-53, in final preseason exhibition
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- UConn men’s basketball rolls past Purdue, 76-53, in final preseason exhibition
HARTFORD – Braylon Mullins returned Tuesday night and assisted on UConn's first three made shots as it rolled in its final exhibition game, a 76-53 win over Purdue at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.
The star sophomore, who missed UConn's first two exhibition wins over Syracuse and Michigan State with an undisclosed injury, took some time to get in the scoring column but provided a glimpse of the offensive hub he can be with seven points, four assists, two rebounds and a block in 24 minutes . Still working to get into game shape ahead of the Huskies' regular season opener against Gardner-Webb on Monday night, Mullins spent considerable time on the exercise bike with two high-tech knee braces when he checked out.
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It was freshman Colben Landrew who starred, at one point scoring 11 consecutive points on his way to 15 for the game on only nine shots from the field. Jayden Ross added 13 without missing a shot from the field, Oskar Giltay added 12 on six shots off the bench with four rebounds and two blocks, and Silas Demary Jr. finished with 10, plus five assists and four steals.
UConn shot 43% from the field despite making 6 of 21 (29%) from beyond the arc as it held the Boilermakers to 33% shooting and just 2-for-25 from deep in another impressive defensive outing.
Thanks to 11 boards from Nik Khamenia, who finished with eight points, two steals and two assists on 2-for-8 shooting, the Huskies finished with a 40-34 advantage on the glass.
Ross, the recipient of Mullins' first two assists, remained in the starting lineup with the sophomore's return and nailed his first two opportunities for corner 3-pointers. A supreme athlete since he arrived on campus four years ago, the high-flying wing soared in for an alley-oop jam off a lob from Landrew, and then was fouled on his third 3-point attempt and made all three from the line to put the Huskies up, 17-7, through nine minutes.
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Landrew, coming off the bench for the first time this preseason, used his physicality to drive to the basket for a pair of layups in the first half while Oskar Giltay battled with 7-foot-4 Daniel Jacobsen down low. He had six points on four shots off the bench as Hines dealt with a pair of early fouls.
Hines, blocked three times by Jacobsen, finished with nine points, six rebounds, two assists and a block.
UConn's defense, shining through its first two exhibitions against Syracuse and Michigan State, was stout again as it held Purdue to just 26.7% shooting from the field and 1-for-14 from deep to take a 35-20 lead into halftime.
Ross started the second-half scoring, too, with another two handed flush off a pass from Demary, who started the fast break chance with his second steal of the game.
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Purdue cut its deficit to 10 with a three-point play from former UConn target Caden Pierce three minutes into the second half, but Demary answered with his own physical finish, plus a free throw, at the other end. Hines put back a Mullins miss from beyond the arc with a one-handed jam and Landrew went on a personal 11-3 run with makes from all three levels.
Mullins made a free throw line jumper in the first half and got going in the second with a floater before seeing his first 3-pointer fall on his fifth attempt of the game as the Huskies went up 24 points. Khamenia nailed a triple and Giltay scored four straight to create the largest lead of the game, 30 points, with three and a half minutes to play.
