UConn HC Reveals What Almost Cost Texas Win

The UConn Huskies keep stacking wins, but the margin for error is getting thinner, and Dan Hurley knows it. The Huskies are currently sitting on a 10-1 overall record. Their last match was against the Texas Longhorns, and it ended with a 71–63 win for the Huskies.

With that match, the Huskies close a brutal non-conference stretch with six straight victories and a 5–1 mark against high-major opponents. While Huskies took the Longhorns down, Hurley still walked into the postgame press conference a bit concerned.

Early on, the Huskies shot 68 percent in the first half, built a nine-point lead by the break, and pushed it to as many as 12 after halftime. However, instead of breaking the game open, Texas lingered, and Hurley pinpointed exactly why.

“You shoot 68 percent early, 54 percent for the game. They shoot 37 percent,” Hurley said. “At one point, I looked up, and it was 10 fouls to two in the second half. From a foul standpoint, we’ve got to figure that part out.”

That “undisciplined fouling” kept Texas alive long enough to make things uncomfortable. The Longhorns went 19-for-28 at the free-throw line, compared to just 7-for-13 for UConn, and spent much of the second half within single digits.

"We’ve got some undisciplined fouling going on," Hurley said. "Putting them at the line as much as we did kept them in it. You look at their team, Jordan Pope is a heck of an offensive player. Dalon Swain is going to be an NBA draft pick."

"Their center is a tremendous player. We met Heide in the Final Four. Mark is a six-year player who’s a big-time scorer. Sim Wiltshire was a starter on a really top-flight St. John’s team. This is a team with talent.”

dan hurley, head coach , uconn huskie — Dec 9, 2025; New York, New York, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts to a call in the first half against the Florida Gators at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Pope and Tramon Mark scored 15 points apiece, repeatedly attacking gaps and drawing contact. Meanwhile, Swain made nine points and three rebounds. Matas Vokietaitis battled inside, and the Longhorns’ depth forced UConn to stay locked in far longer than expected.

Still, UConn’s efficiency ultimately won out. Alex Karaban led four Huskies in double figures with 18 points, hitting 1,500 career points in the process. Tarris Reed Jr. added 12 points, six rebounds, four blocks, and a career-high five assists.

Meanwhile, Braylon Mullins made his first career start with 10 points. The ball movement was sharp with 23 assists on 29 field goals, and Malachi Smith’s nine assists off the bench kept the offense humming. Yet even with all that, Hurley couldn’t ignore the sloppiness.

“The rebounding and the 15 turnovers were a mess,” Hurley admitted. “We would have scored 80-plus if we didn’t turn the ball over 15 times.”

UConn’s Big East Gauntlet Begins With the Next Game

Texas marked the end of UConn’s non-conference slate. From the next game onwards, there is no room for lapses. Big East play opens at PeoplesBank Arena with Butler, a familiar foe that UConn has dominated since joining the league.

LOUD NOISES pic.twitter.com/d25NsexM75
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) December 13, 2025

The Huskies are 11–0 all-time against the Bulldogs, including an 80–78 overtime win in Hartford earlier this year, and have won every meeting both home and away. Butler has pushed the Huskies before, and the Big East schedule that follows will punish sloppy fouling and careless turnovers far more ruthlessly.

After Butler, UConn heads on the road to face DePaul and Xavier before a marquee home clash with Marquette. The Huskies then jump right back into hostile environments against Providence and Seton Hall. With Villanova and Creighton also looming, the stretch turns into a full Big East stress test.

Don't forget to bookmark UConn Huskies on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!