Hurley reaches 200 UConn wins as a new frontcourt sets the tone

Dan Hurley’s 200th victory at Connecticut arrived with a promising first look at a rebuilt frontcourt. No. 4 UConn beat Gardner-Webb 86-46 Monday night in Hartford, opening its season with a 42-10 advantage in points in the paint.

Hurley became the third men’s coach in school history to reach 200 wins, joining Hugh Greer, who won 287, and Jim Calhoun, who won 625. The milestone gives Hurley a place in a much longer institutional history, even as the players carrying his program change.

Braylon Mullins led the Huskies with 20 points, including four three-pointers. New arrivals Nik Khamenia and Na’jai Hines supplied 14 and 12 points. Hines also collected 12 rebounds and blocked three shots. Their combined 26 points and 18 rebounds gave Connecticut production close to the basket alongside Mullins’ perimeter scoring.

An interior foundation, with work at the line

The box score shows how thoroughly UConn controlled those possessions. It out-rebounded Gardner-Webb 46-28 and led 21-3 in fast-break points. Connecticut made 22 of its 31 two-point attempts, a calculated 71.0 percent. It could build a large lead even while shooting 9-for-29 from three.

Silas Demary Jr. offered another useful balance: eight assists and no turnovers, with eight rebounds. A guard does not have to dominate the scoring to organize a productive offense. On this night, his distribution accompanied substantial contributions from both the starting frontcourt and the bench, where Colben Landrew scored 11.

There was a clear repair item inside the comfortable result. UConn made only 15 of 24 free throws, or 62.5 percent. Missed chances at the line carried little consequence in a 40-point victory. Against a closer opponent, nine empty attempts would consume much more of the margin for error.

UConn led 43-24 at halftime and scored another 43 points after the break. Friday brings No. 16 Michigan in Boston, a national championship game rematch according to UConn’s announcement. That matchup should offer a more demanding measure of the new frontcourt’s ability to finish possessions and sustain the same advantage against a ranked opponent.