On November 28 when the UConn Huskies faced Dayton’s men’s basketball team, Alex Karaban had an impressive showing, contributing 21 points in the Huskies’ 85-67 loss. However, things took a turn late in the game when Karaban suffered a head injury. With just 2 1/2 minutes left, he was fouled while driving to the basket and hit his head hard on the floor.

He was placed in concussion protocol, taken to the hospital, and was obliged to sit out the 2 following games. Though the Huskies won both of them, Karaban’s absence was felt. “A lot of guys had to step up because Alex brings so much,” Liam McNeeley had stated. He made up for it today. 

Alex Karaban with the Huskies getting back on track

Things went a little downhill for the Huskies with the Maui Invitational — three consecutive games lost while their captain was sidelined following the last. But they have been back on track since then, winning two of two. Karaban helped keep the streak alive against the Texas Longhorns as he led the scoring for the team tonight.

In a 76-65 road win over Texas, the Huskies’ captain played all 40 minutes at the Moody Center. Having missed the last two games, Karaban wasted no time helping his team take over. He dominated with 14 points in the first half and finished with a team-high 21 points and 11 rebounds, notching the first double-double of his career. On top of that, he added two blocks and two steals—an all-around stellar performance.

His head coach, Dan Hurley, couldn’t have been more thrilled. “That’s what he’s gonna have to do for this team this year. He played like a star and delivered in every way. He had some fresh legs today—maybe we’ve been practicing too hard. This is something now; everyone’s gonna want some days off,” Hurley joked, praising his All-American-caliber performance.

More wins for the captain

Karaban and the Huskies’ managed to hold Texas to 21-of-50 shooting from the field. With the Longhorns focusing their defense on UConn’s three-point line—where nearly 48.6% of their shots come from this season—the Huskies shifted their strategy. They drove inside early, scoring 10 of their first 19 points in the paint.

Karaban and his teammate Ball then silenced a 6-0 Longhorns run with back-to-back three-pointers. Karaban’s second triple of the game was a milestone—it put him over the 1,000-point mark for his career, making him just the 53rd player in program history to achieve that feat while wearing a UConn uniform.

It was a thrilling performance from Karaban, who shot 42.9% from the field and an impressive 60.0% from beyond the arc. Up next, Karaban and the Huskies face No. 7 Gonzaga in their non-conference finale at Madison Square Garden this Saturday before diving into Big East play against Xavier next week.

Karaban’s comeback storm is just getting started!