Solo Ball stats tonight: How did UConn star fare vs Xavier (Dec. 18)
Solo Ball scored a career-high 22 points to lead the No. 11 UConn to a 94-89 overtime win over Xavier in the Huskies' Big East Conference 2024-25 regular-season debut on Wednesday at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
Ball struggled from the field against the Musketeers, making 6-of-17 shots, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range. But he made amends from the free throw line burying all of his seven attempts to help the Dan Hurley-coached squad extend their winning streak to five games and 9-3 overall.
The 6-foot-3 sophomore overcame a slow start and scored 17 of his points in the second half and overtime to help UConn extend their winning streak against Xavier to four games.
Ball scored his first two points on a layup that gave UConn a 10-7 edge at the 14:37 mark of the first half. The Brewster Academy standout would pick up his fifth point on a pull-up 3-pointer off a steal from Dante Maddox, handing back the Huskies a 23-22 lead with 3:38 left.
The guard bounced back big time in the second half, dropping 13 points on four field goals and three free throws. This included an eight-point cluster of two triples and one layup that helped the Huskies climb back from five points down and take a 72-71 lead.
Ball could have been the hero in regulation but missed his desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer that sent UConn and Xavier to overtime. The guard remained sharp from the charity stripe in the extension, making all four attempts that gave the Huskies a three-possession advantage on both occasions.
Here are Solo Ball's final stats in UConn's win over Xavier:
Huskies vs Musketeers game recap: Ball, Karaban and Reed combine for 62 points as UConn opens Big East title defense with win over Xavier
Solo Ball, Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. combined for 62 points on Wednesday to help No. 11 UConn put away Xavier and open their Big East Conference title defense on a positive note at XL Center.
Ball scored 22 points while Karaban and Reed added 20 each for the Huskies, who improved to 9-3 (1-0 in Big East).
Reed came up with a double-double, grabbing 13 rebounds to go along with two assists, two steals and four blocks. Karaban, meanwhile, picked up five boards, dished off two dimes and put up three rejections for UConn, who shot 47.8% from the field and 95.2% from the free throw line.
Five-star freshmen Liam McNeeley and Hassan Diarra contributed 14 and 12 points, respectively. The Huskies will seek to extend their winning streak to six games against Butler on Saturday at noon.
Ryan Conwell led the Musketeers (8-4, 0-1 in Big East) with a game-high 23 points while Dante Maddox Jr. added 22. Xavier will aim to bounce back from that heartbreaking defeat in its clash with No. 9 Marquette on Saturday.
What did you think of Solo Ball's performance against Xavier? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.