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Silas Demary Jr. scored 21 points and made a crucial steal to help third-ranked UConn hold off a late rally by No. 7 BYU for an 86-84 victory Saturday night.
Tarris Reed Jr. added 21 points and eight rebounds. Alex Karaban also had 21 points for the Huskies (4-0), who began a five-game stretch that features four ranked opponents. Demary finished with seven assists, five rebounds and two steals.
The game was played at TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics, as part of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Series.
Highly touted BYU freshman forward AJ Dybantsa, who grew up just outside Boston and is considered a potential No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft next summer, led the Cougars (3-1) with 25 points.
Richie Saunders added 17 and Robert Wright III finished with 16.
UConn led 82-77 when Dybantsa dropped in a layup with under a minute to play. Two free throws by Demary made it 84-79, but a 3-pointer by Dawson Baker cut the margin to two.
Malachi Smith was fouled and hit one of two throws. The Cougars had a chance to tie the game, but Demary knocked the ball away from Wright. Solo Ball then made a free throw to push the lead back to four with 18 seconds left.
The Huskies had 21 assists on 30 field goals. BYU managed just seven assists on 29 baskets.
The Cougars played without starting point guard Kennard Davis Jr., arrested on suspicion of DUI following a crash in Utah on Thursday. The school said in a statement it was aware of the allegations and looking into them.
Davis was with the team Saturday but sat on the bench in street clothes. He started the first two games of the season before sitting out a win over Delaware on Tuesday with an injury.
Cougars senior forward Keba Keita was helped off the court with 8:51 left in the first half after appearing to take a blow to his head while fighting for a loose ball.
Up next
UConn: Hosts No. 5 Arizona on Wednesday.
BYU: Hosts No. 24 Wisconsin on Nov. 24.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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