UConn earned what coach Dan Hurley called a “very gratifying” victory at No. 24 Creighton on Tuesday, winning a Big East rivalry that’s gotten surprisingly heated despite the schools’ lack of proximity.
“The home fans here didn’t get the win that they wanted, but they got a show,” Hurley said. “They got an intense game with so much passion and a life-or-death struggle. … I just wish that there was more (fans) still left (at the end).”
It remains to be seen what kind of environment Hurley will encounter when the Huskies visit his alma mater, woeful Seton Hall, on Saturday in Newark, N.J.
UConn (17-7, 9-4 Big East) trailed by as many as 14 points before a 13-0 run spanning the halves brought the Huskies back in it. Liam McNeeley had the best game of his freshman season with 38 points, five 3-pointers and 10 rebounds as the Huskies rallied to win 70-66.
Hurley was seen taunting some Creighton fans on his way off the court, gesturing to his hand and saying, “Two rings!”
Despite UConn’s status as back-to-back national champions, the Huskies dropped out of the AP Top 25 poll the day before the Creighton tilt.
“No one gets crowned in February,” Hurley told reporters Monday. “There are no crowns handed out for a while here.”
The Huskies know that well. During the 2022-23 season, they went through a 2-6 stretch early in Big East play before righting the ship and winning the first of consecutive championships.
UConn is only 5-4 against the Pirates since rejoining the Big East and has lost three straight road games in the series.
Seton Hall (6-18, 1-12), however, is enduring its worst season in years, and recent home games have been poorly attended. The Pirates have dropped 14 of their past 15 games.
Seton Hall got a week off after losing 60-46 at Georgetown for their ninth straight defeat last Saturday. It marked a season low in scoring for a team that’s near the bottom of Division I at 62.4 points per game.
Isaiah Coleman, Seton Hall’s leader at 14.9 points per game, had 21 against Georgetown while Dylan Addae-Wusu, Chaunce Jenkins and Scotty Middleton all continued to sit with various injuries.
“They haven’t been practicing or doing anything,” coach Shaheen Holloway said in a postgame radio interview. “The bye week came at a good time for us. Just got to continue to keep battling. This is part of the journey.”
For UConn, McNeeley now paces the team at 15.4 points over 16 games after missing time with a high ankle sprain. Solo Ball averages 14.8 points and Alex Karaban adds 14.2.
–Field Level Media
