A NUMBER of NCAAM Basketball guns delivered strong performances as the UConn Huskies defeated the Texas Longhorns by 11 points Moody Centre yesterday.

The Huskies got on top in the first half, and led by as many as 20 points at the start of the second half. Although Texas fought hard to draw that deficit back, the damage was already done, demonstrated by the fact that the Longhorns had a strong patch of play, they still trailed by 15 points with four minutes to play, as the Huskies cruised home to victory.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be casting an eye over how the key players performed in the match, as some of the NCAAM’s best and brightest display their craft on a nightly basis.

UConn Huskies (76) def. Texas Longhorns (65)

Huskies

#1 Solo Ball

Ball kept his season-long streak of recording double-digit points alive with another solid showing against the Longhorns. He poured in 16 points, which was the second-most of any Huskies player and looked the most aggressive he has in any game this year. He attempted a season-high 13 shots, making six and helping UConn stay ahead of the opposition. Ball also made a big shot after the Longhorns drew within 10 points with nine minutes to play, helping give his team some breathing space with arguably the most important play of the game.

#11 Alex Karaban

After missing the past two games, Karaban demonstrated his importance to the team with an excellent return in the win over Texas. The Junior forward was UConn’s leading scorer with 21 points, backing up his previous outing which saw him pour in 21 points as well as he continues his strong form. The Huskies were looking to get him involved in pick and roll plays as much as possible, and Karaban was able to roll to the basket and finish at the cup on several occasions.

He also stretched the floor to knock down three triples on five attempts and showed composure at the free throw line, shooting 6/7 from the charity stripe. Karaban was also a beast on the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds for the match to record a double-double. Five of these came on the offensive end, and allowed for second-chance scores for both himself and his teammates as Karaban was also willing to dish the ball out to a wide open teammate.

Longhorns

#6 Arthur Kaluma

The forward was one of Texas’ best in the loss to the Huskies, stepping up to provide a reliable source of scoring despite it being a tough night for the Longhorns. The Senior brought all of his experience to the table, and outworked a lot of his opponents. He was one of two Texas players to finish with 20-plus points for the match, finishing bang on 20. He showed an ability to score across all three levels, and shot 6/11 from the field as well as 3/4 from long range. Kaluma was relentless on his attack on the opposition, and was not afraid of the defender standing in front. He was also an excellent contributor on the glass, pulling down nine rebounds for the match and almost posted a double-double.

#20 Tre Johnson

The leading scorer for the match, Johnson fought tooth and nail to keep Texas in the match and tried valiantly to spark enough offence to get Texas back in the match. He posted a game-high 24 points on 9/17 shooting from the field and 3/8 shooting from behind the arc. The Freshman guard has already demonstrated a strong ability to find the bottom of the net, and has not shied away from taking plenty of responsibility on the offensive end despite being in his first year.

He had an individual run at the halfway mark of the second half that single-handedly dragged the Longhorns back into the contest. Although the rest of the team could not go on with the effort, it was still a perfect demonstration of his scoring power. Although he is only a handful of games into his NCAAM career, he took the most shots of any Texas player and will undoubtedly continue to be a focal point for the team on the offensive end.