No. 6 UConn and Seton Hall Clash in Battle of Suffocating Defenses

Tarris Reed Jr. leads UConn's quest for Big East regular season title against Seton Hall's stingy defense

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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No. 6 UConn, led by Tarris Reed Jr.'s dominant performance, will face off against Seton Hall in a matchup of two of the Big East's top defensive teams. UConn is in sole possession of first place in the conference standings, while Seton Hall ranks last in scoring but has held opponents to under 70 points in 22 of 28 games this season.

Why it matters

This game is a crucial one in the race for the Big East regular season championship, as UConn looks to maintain its lead atop the standings. The clash of elite defenses will make for a compelling contest, with both teams looking to gain an advantage through their stifling play on that end of the floor.

The details

UConn is coming off a 72-40 rout of No. 15 St. John's, in which the Huskies held the Red Storm to just 11-of-56 shooting. Tarris Reed Jr. was the star, finishing with 20 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks, three assists and two steals. Seton Hall, meanwhile, ranks last in the Big East in scoring and 3-point percentage, but has held opponents to under 65 points in 14 games this season. The Pirates are led by Adam Clark, who is averaging a team-high 12.5 points per game.

  • UConn and Seton Hall will face off on Saturday, February 26, 2026.
  • UConn's regular season will wrap up on March 7, 2026 with a game at Marquette.

The players

Tarris Reed Jr.

A standout center for No. 6 UConn who is leading the Huskies' quest for the Big East regular season championship.

Adam Clark

The leading scorer for Seton Hall, which ranks last in the Big East in scoring but has one of the conference's stingiest defenses.

Dan Hurley

The head coach of the No. 6 UConn Huskies, who has guided the team to the top of the Big East standings.

Shaheen Holloway

The head coach of the Seton Hall Pirates, whose team is known for its suffocating defensive play.

Najai Hines

A forward for the Seton Hall Pirates, who says the team's defense is a key part of its identity.

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What they’re saying

“It just starts snowballing on you when you have a night like this. Obviously, we played really good defense on them, and I thought we demoralized them a little bit when the score gets where the score got. And I just think it was one of those nights where everything went great for us and everything went wrong for them. But we did a lot to make that happen.”

— Dan Hurley, UConn Head Coach (southernsportstoday.com)

“(That) performance was as good as a center's played for us in a game. The thing with Tarris is he can repeat that. And if he repeats that, we're not going to lose many more games the rest of the way. And it's repeatable what he was doing. He wasn't hitting, like, fadeaway, dream-shake shots. He was just a guy with a presence at the rim as a deterrent. And his ball-screen defense and his rebounding, his post position and his passing out of traps — if he does that, this team's going to have a great rest of the way.”

— Dan Hurley, UConn Head Coach (southernsportstoday.com)

“Our defense is part of our identity.”

— Najai Hines, Seton Hall Forward (southernsportstoday.com)

“We dug deep. Made plays when we needed to make them. Found a way to win the game. We need the rest.”

— Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall Head Coach (southernsportstoday.com)

What’s next

After Saturday's matchup with Seton Hall, UConn will wrap up the regular season with a game at Marquette on March 7.

The takeaway

This game showcases the strength of both teams' defenses, as UConn and Seton Hall have established themselves as two of the top defensive squads in the Big East. The outcome could have major implications in the race for the conference regular season title, with UConn looking to maintain its lead and Seton Hall hoping to pull off an upset on the road.