HARTFORD (Interstat) — Silas Demary scored 18 points and Na’Jai Hines added 10 points and eight rebounds as Connecticut rolled past Wagner 83-41 on Monday at the XL Center. The Huskies improved to 3-0, while the Seahawks fell to 0-3 in a men’s NCAA Division I game played before an announced crowd of 10,244. Connecticut controlled the game from the opening minutes, using an early 14-0 run to establish a lead it never relinquished. The Huskies led 44-18 at halftime and kept the Seahawks at arm’s length after the break.

The decisive stretch came immediately. Nik Khamenia opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, Hines followed with a tip-in dunk, Demary made a turnaround jumper, Khamenia added a floating jump shot and another 3-pointer, and Hines capped the run with a tip-in layup. Wagner did not score until AJ Rodriguez made a layup with 14:57 left in the first half. By then, Connecticut had already set the tone with defensive pressure and interior scoring. The Seahawks never recovered from that opening burst, and the Huskies’ lead only grew.

Connecticut stretched the margin in the second half. Demary opened the period with a layup, Hines made two free throws, and Colben Landrew converted a layup and a free throw. Hines added two dunks, Ross threw down a dunk and later made a 3-pointer, and Mullins made a dunk and a 3-pointer. Wagner got 3-pointers from Cam Estevez and a stepback jumper from Taj Bryant, but the Huskies answered each time. Connecticut’s lead reached 45 points after Mullins made a 3-pointer with 8:36 remaining. Wagner closed the game on a 10-4 run, but it came well after the outcome had been decided.

Connecticut shot 28 of 64 from the floor, 9 of 30 from 3-point range and 18 of 24 from the free-throw line. Wagner shot 17 of 51 overall, 4 of 17 from beyond the arc and 3 of 4 at the line. The Huskies held decisive advantages in points off turnovers, 37-5, points in the paint, 38-22, and fastbreak points, 14-0. Connecticut also had 18 offensive rebounds to Wagner’s 11, blocked eight shots, and recorded 14 assists to Wagner’s nine. The Seahawks committed 24 turnovers and 20 fouls, while the Huskies committed 11 turnovers and 12 fouls.

Demary, a 6-4, 195-pound guard from Raleigh, N.C., who previously attended Combine Academy, added four rebounds and four assists in 26 minutes. He repeatedly broke down Wagner’s defense, making layups, a 3-pointer and free throws. Demary had entered the game after a 21-point, seven-rebound, four-assist effort in a win over Michigan and a five-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist performance against Gardner-Webb. His combination of scoring and playmaking kept Connecticut’s offense steady even when Wagner tried to slow the pace. Demary was the top star for the Huskies, and his early control of the game helped Connecticut avoid any letdown.

Hines, a 6-11 center who previously attended Plainfield, finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes. He scored on tip-ins and dunks and gave the Huskies a strong interior presence. AJ Rodriguez led Wagner with 10 points, seven rebounds and one block in 32 minutes, scoring on layups and a hook shot while often creating offense near the rim. Jayden Ross added 12 points, two rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes, and Oskar Giltay had six points, four rebounds, one assist and one block in 17 minutes. Nik Khamenia needed only six minutes to score 11 points and grab one rebound, providing an unexpected burst with three 3-pointers. Braylon Mullins contributed 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and one block in 23 minutes.

Youssouf Singare added five points and three rebounds for Wagner in 26 minutes, and Taj Bryant had six points and three assists in 28 minutes. Junior County of Connecticut finished with four points, two rebounds and four assists in 17 minutes. Cam Estevez hit three 3-pointers for Wagner, and Kareem Watson made a 3-pointer and two free throws. William Patterson added an alley-oop dunk, but the Seahawks could not overcome their turnover problems.

The Huskies turned those miscues into easy baskets throughout the night. Connecticut scored 37 points off Wagner’s 24 turnovers, frequently converting steals and live-ball errors into layups and dunks. That pressure helped Connecticut overcome a modest shooting night from 3-point range and build a comfortable margin. The Seahawks, meanwhile, managed only five points off Connecticut’s 11 turnovers and did not record a fastbreak point. Connecticut’s size also made life difficult inside, where the Huskies blocked eight shots and held a 38-22 edge in paint scoring.

Connecticut’s frontcourt depth was evident in the paint, where the Huskies scored 38 points and blocked eight shots. Hines and Giltay altered attempts inside, while Ross and Mullins provided scoring from the wing. Demary led the way with 18 points, but the balance around him allowed Connecticut to pull away early and keep Wagner at a distance. The Huskies’ 14 assists came against only 11 turnovers, a solid ratio for a team that played at a brisk pace. Connecticut also got production from Khamenia and County in reserve roles, making the Huskies difficult to defend for a full 40 minutes.

Wagner’s offensive rating of 62.2 reflected a difficult night against Connecticut’s length and pressure. The Seahawks scored 41 points from 66 possessions, while Connecticut scored 83 points from 68 possessions for an offensive rating of 121.3. Wagner had nine assists and 11 offensive rebounds but could not turn those extra chances into enough second-chance points. The Seahawks also struggled from the free-throw line in terms of volume, attempting only four foul shots. Wagner’s season record is now 0-3 after earlier losses at Miami and Boston College, while Connecticut is 3-0 after wins over Michigan and Gardner-Webb.

The Huskies will return to action against Ohio State before a road trip to Arizona and a meeting with Duke in Las Vegas. Wagner will host Bryant and Stratton in its next game before road tests at Saint Joseph’s and Maryland. Both teams will use the result as an early-season reference point, with Connecticut riding momentum and Wagner searching for answers on offense.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Connecticut 72, Wagner 65. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Connecticut with a 99.9 percent probability to win.