No. 19/18 Connecticut survived at home against Butler, taking an 80-78 overtime win Tuesday night at the XL Center in Hartford.
 
Jahmyl Telfort led the Bulldogs with 25 points. Solo Ball paced the Huskies with 23 points.
 
With the win, UConn improves to 14-5 (6-2 in the BIG EAST). Butler falls to 8-11 on the season.
 
THE KEY STRETCH: Eight straight points from UConn gave the home team a 78-73 lead with 1:12 remaining in overtime. Butler would cut the lead to two before an Alex Karaban loose ball was collected by Tarris Reed, Jr. under the basket for a lay-in as the shot clock expired with 20 seconds left. That four-point lead was once again cut to two by Telfort. A missed UConn free throw allowed the Bulldogs to have two looks from behind the arc to win the game, but neither fell. 
 
NOTES:

• After eight straight points gave UConn a 37-22 lead with 4:28 remaining, which was the largest advantage of the first half, Butler immediately responded with a 9-0 run to pull back to 37-31. UConn led 39-31 at the half behind 15 points from Solo Ball.
• Butler's first lead of the game came at 65-64 with
• Finley Bizjack scored a season-best 17 points for Butler.
• Andre Screen just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds; he made five of his six shots from the field.
• Butler went to the free throw line 28 times, but was only able to convert 19 (68 percent).
• Connecticut utilized 50 points in the paint.
• In addition to Ball's 23, Karaban scored 19 points.
• The teams combined for just 19 turnovers in the 45 minutes. The Bulldogs had 10 of those after entering the game with single-digit turnover outputs in seven of its last nine games.
• Butler's Kolby King missed the game; he is progressing through the concussion protocol.
• Butler and UConn have concluded the regular season home-and-home series, the Bulldogs' first BIG EAST opponent to play twice this season. UConn won the first meeting, 78-74, in Indianapolis Dec. 21.
• UConn is now 11-0 against Butler.

 
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs return to action Saturday as DePaul visits Hinkle Fieldhouse. Tickets are still available for that 4 p.m. contest.