The All-Big East center became just the second player since 1968 to record 30-plus points and 25-plus rebounds in a single NCAA Tournament game as the Huskies survived a fierce upset bid
For about 36 long, uncomfortable minutes on Friday night in Philadelphia, UConn looked like a team very much capable of becoming the next great March casualty. Then Tarris Reed Jr. reminded everyone exactly why the Huskies were seeded second in the East Region.
Reed finished with 31 points and 27 rebounds in one of the most statistically absurd performances in NCAA Tournament history, lifting UConn to an 82-71 victory over No. 15-seed Furman at Xfinity Mobile Arena. In doing so, he became the first player since Elvin Hayes in 1968 to record 30 or more points and 25 or more rebounds in a single tournament game. It was a performance that belonged in a different era, in the best possible way.
Furman had UConn on the ropes
None of that history felt certain for most of the night. Furman arrived in Philadelphia with a plan and the confidence to execute it, and the Paladins made believers out of the sellout crowd early. They led 19-18 midway through the first half, hit six three-pointers before halftime alone, and shot 48% from the floor in the opening period while UConn clanked shot after shot from beyond the arc. The Huskies finished the game having missed 20 of their 25 three-point attempts. Each miss felt like an open invitation.
Furman freshman Alex Wilkins was especially compelling, finishing with 21 points and drawing the crowd into every exchange. Tom House matched that total, going four for nine from three-point range and providing steady contributions each time Furman needed to stay within reach. Charles Johnston capped a breathtaking first half with a buzzer-beating three that cut the UConn lead to 40-36, sending the Paladins sprinting to the locker room in a burst of genuine belief.
The Paladins have done this before. In 2023, Furman used a buzzer-beater of their own to knock off No. 4-seed Virginia, one of the more memorable upsets of that tournament. The Huskies were well aware they were playing a team that understood the assignment.
Reed would not allow the collapse
The second half played out the way Furman needed it to at first. Johnston threw down a monster dunk early in the period to keep the Paladins within striking distance at 54-47, and House’s fourth three-pointer of the night trimmed the deficit to six with time still on the clock. When Alex Wilkins hit from deep to make it 69-64 with under six minutes remaining, the noise inside the building suggested something special might be brewing.
But Reed was everywhere. Every missed UConn shot found his hands. Every loose ball, every scramble near the rim, ended the same way. UConn closed the game on a 12-4 run, and the upset that had seemed so genuinely possible for so long never materialized.
Alex Karaban added 22 points for UConn, going four for seven from three-point range on a night when his teammates could barely buy a made look from the outside. His efficiency was essential in a game where almost nothing else came easily.
A deeper problem for the Huskies to solve
The win moves UConn to 30 and 5 on the season and sets up a second-round matchup against UCLA in the East Region on Sunday, March 22. But the performance raised questions that a victory does not automatically erase.
The Huskies played without first-team All-Big East guard Silas Demary Jr., who suffered an ankle injury in the Big East Tournament, and Jaylin Stewart remained sidelined with the knee injury that has kept him out since late February. Both absences were felt. UConn lost the Big East Tournament title game to St. John’s, and Friday’s near-miss against a 15-seed suggests the team is still finding its footing heading deeper into March.
Reed’s night was remarkable enough to carry the Huskies through. The question now is whether he needs to do it all over again when the competition gets harder and the margin for sloppiness gets smaller.