"Recap of Top 25: UConn Dominates in Season Opener as Title Defense Begins"
Alex Karaban achieved a game-high 20 points and had a personal best of seven blocked shots to aid No. 3 UConn in their season opener, defeating Sacred Heart 92-56 in Storrs, Conn.
Karaban made 7 of 9 field-goal attempts, including 5 of 7 from behind the 3-point line for the two-time defending national champions. He also contributed six rebounds and seven assists.
UConn's freshman forward Liam McNeeley scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Solo Ball made 4 of 7 3-point attempts and added 16 points, while Michigan transfer Tarris Reed Jr. finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
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The Huskies blocked 13 shots and made 13 of 31 3-point attempts, 41.9 percent, in the victory. The Pioneers (0-2) shot 33.9 percent from the field (19 of 56) and were 6 of 15 (40 percent) from 3-point range. Amiri Stewart led the Sacred Heart offense with 13 points, while Bryce Johnson added 10 points.
No. 11 Auburn 94, Vermont 43
Miles Kelly scored 21 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, as the Tigers dominated the visiting Catamounts in Auburn, Ala..
Kelly, a Georgia Tech transfer, only missed two of his 3-point attempts and led a group of five scorers who finished in double figures for Auburn in their season opener. Denver Jones added 16 points, Chaney Johnson had 13, Johni Broome had 12, and Chad Baker-Mazara tallied 11. Johnson grabbed nine rebounds and Broome had seven.
TJ Long finished with three points, while Seth Joba led the Catamounts (1-1) with eight.
No. 15 Creighton 99, UT Rio Grande Valley 86
Ryan Kalkbrenner exploded for a career-high 49 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Bluejays to a season-opening victory over the Vaqueros in Omaha, Neb.
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Kalkbrenner, the Big East Conference preseason player of the year, made 20 of 22 shots from the floor and also sank both of his attempts from 3-point range. He fell just short of the single-game school record set by Bob Portman, who scored 51 points against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Dec. 16, 1967.
With 1,820 career points, Kalkbrenner surpassed Kyle Korver (1,801) to become sixth all-time in school history. Steven Ashworth made all 17 of his free-throw attempts to highlight his 25-point performance. Hasan Abdul Hakim recorded a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds for UT Rio Grande Valley (0-2).
No. 16 Arkansas 76, Lipscomb 60
Freshman Boogie Fland scored 17 points in his collegiate debut and the Razorbacks' defense in the final stretch secured a win over the Bisons in Fayetteville, Ark.
It was the first game for Arkansas under coach John Calipari. Johnell Davis added 15 points for Arkansas, while Ivisic had 12. The Razorbacks shot 56.7 percent from the floor despite going just 4-for-19 from beyond the 3-point line.
Jacob Ognacevic led the Bisons (1-1) with 16 points, with Gyasi Powell and Will Pruitt scoring 12 each. Lipscomb made just 38.7 percent of its field-goal attempts.
No. 17 Indiana 80, SIU Edwardsville 61
Mackenzie Mgbako scored a game-high 31 points and added nine rebounds as the Hoosiers opened their season with a win over the Cougars in Bloomington, Ind.
Mgbako made 13 of 17 shots from the field, including 4 of 5 from the 3-point line. Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo each added 15 points for Indiana.
Ray'Sean Taylor scored 17 points for SIU Edwardsville (1-1) but made only 7 of 22 shots, including 3 of 10 from the 3-point line.
No. 25 Rutgers 75, Wagner 52
