NCAA Tournament First Round: UConn men’s basketball takes down Furman, 82-71
The Paladins were tough, but UConn had enough at the end and kept a buffer throughout thanks to their senior center.
Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) dunks the ball in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images It wasn’t easy, but the UConn Huskies are on to the second round after defeating Furman, 82-71, in a game that was fairly close most of the way.
Tarris Reed Jr. turned in a historic performance, grabbing boards and making buckets at a rapid pace as he finished with 31 points and 27 rebounds. Hours before tipoff, we found out Silas Demary Jr.
would be out due to his ankle injury, giving the start to Malachi Smith. Demary Jr. ’s absence was apparent early on both ends of the court in the early going, as Furman stayed in it and even briefly led in the first half.
Thankfully, Reed Jr. set the tone on the glass and inside the paint from the beginning. Reed grabbed eight rebounds in the first four minutes and essentially kept that pace throughout.