Hines Takes Over in Hartford, Virginia Storms Back at Maryland and Arizona Ends Auburn's Home Streak

Friday night promised three real tests for three ranked teams, and all three passed, though none of them made it look easy. UConn needed a second-half surge to put away Ohio State, Virginia had to dig out of a double-digit hole on the road, and Arizona walked into one of the toughest buildings in the country and snapped a home streak that had lasted for years.

The fourth-ranked Huskies got a breakout night from Na'jai Hines, who scored a career-high 20 points, 17 of them after halftime, and missed only one shot from the field, the Associated Press reported. Braylon Mullins led UConn with 22 points and knocked down five 3-pointers before he went to the floor with 6:07 to play and limped off, according to the AP. Silas Demary Jr. added 10 points and nine assists.

Ohio State made the Huskies earn it. The Buckeyes wiped out a 14-point deficit and held the lead at points in the second half, with Jimmie Williams scoring 17 and John Mobley Jr. adding 16, the AP reported. With the game tied at 52, UConn answered with a 22-6 run that settled the night. The Huskies shot 61.2 percent from the floor, their best mark in a nonconference game against a high-major opponent since 2015. UConn moved to 4-0, and Ohio State fell to 2-2.

Coach Dan Hurley credited a simple change for Hines' big night: his staff stopped overcoaching the guard on how he catches the ball, Yahoo Sports reported. Sometimes the best coaching is knowing when to step back and let a young man play.

Virginia looked nothing like an unbeaten top-10 team for the first 20 minutes at Xfinity Center. The Cavaliers trailed by 11 at the break and finished with a season-high 17 turnovers, which Maryland turned into 24 points, the AP reported. Sam Lewis had seven of those giveaways, but he also carried the comeback, scoring a career-high 28 points on 12-of-16 shooting with seven rebounds.

Thijs De Ridder added 20, Johann Grunloh scored 15 and Chance Mallory had 12. Mallory's 3-pointer with 6:31 left gave Virginia a 70-69 lead, and De Ridder's 3 with 1:33 to go pushed the margin to 85-77. The Cavaliers are 5-0.

The Washington Post noted that coach Ryan Odom is leaning on experience, with four returning players powering the fast start. In an era when rosters turn over every spring, that is worth noticing. The players who stayed, learned the system and grew together were the ones who kept their heads when a road crowd got loud and the turnovers piled up.

The late game delivered the biggest result of the night. Arizona freshman Caleb Holt, an Alabama native playing in his home state, scored a season-high 24 points with nine rebounds and five steals, and went 4-of-6 from 3-point range after making just one of 11 on the season coming in, Arizona Athletics reported. Ivan Kharchenkov added 19, and Motiejus Krivas had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Auburn fought back from 14 points down in the second half and took the lead three times, but a 9-0 Arizona run put it away, Auburn Athletics reported. Thomas Dowd led the Tigers with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Adam Olsen scored 12. The loss ended the nation's longest home nonconference winning streak; Auburn's athletics department counted it at 69 games, while Arizona's put it at 71. Arizona improved to 3-1.

Three lessons stand out from one Friday in November. UConn has more than one scorer it can lean on, which matters a great deal if Mullins' injury lingers. Virginia has toughness to go with its talent, though 17 turnovers will not beat many good teams in March. And Arizona has a freshman who does not shrink on the road, in front of friends and family or anyone else.

The next big test comes quickly. Arizona returns home to host UConn on Wednesday, according to Arizona Athletics. After both teams survived hard nights on Friday, that one already looks like an early measuring stick for the spring.