The No. 14 UConn men’s basketball team (13-5, 5-2 Big East) lost for the first time at home since Jan. 25, 2023, when the team lost to Xavier. They fell to the Creighton Bluejays (12-6, 5-2 Big East) on Saturday afternoon.
It was the fourth consecutive game that Liam McNeeley was out for the Huskies, proving to hurt Connecticut’s chances more in the team’s seventh Big East game of the season.
“I’m not sure when Liam [McNeeley] returns [that it is] going to be able to fix the lack of tenacity that we have right now,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley said following the loss.
Samson Johnson won the tip for the Huskies, and it did not take too long for UConn to score first, with Hassan Diarra quickly getting to the basket with a layup.
Connecticut got out to an 8-point lead and was on an 8-0 run thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers by Solo Ball.
Creighton guard Jamiya Neal carried the load for the Bluejays in the first eight minutes and change, scoring 12 points and making his first five shots before getting blocked by Alex Karaban on a dunk attempt. It was a remarkable first half for him, especially when he averages 10.9 points per game coming into the contest. He finished the first half with 17 points on 7-8 shooting.
Creighton did an excellent job on the defensive end in the first half. Karaban came into the game averaging 16.1 points per game but did not score in the first half. Not once did the Huskies go to the free-throw line and that was a major factor in Creighton’s 35-28 lead at halftime.
UConn came out with a chip on their shoulder in the second half, outscoring the Bluejays 11-6 in the first four minutes. Johnson posterized Ryan Kalkbrenner and drew the foul, sending the Huskies to the free-throw line for the first time in the game.
Karaban finally scored to tie the game, and his two made free throws later gave the Huskies the lead. He played most of the second half with an injured ankle.
“I don’t have any real information about what his ankle is going to look like,” Hurley said.
However, Creighton climbed back, going on a 9-0 scoring run, and holding Connecticut scoreless for more than three minutes.
Neal, a transfer from Arizona State, finished the game leading all scorers with a career-high 24 points on 10-16 shooting.
“[Neal has] really bought into how we play, and not just on the offensive end,” Creighton head coach Greg McDermott said following the game. “Defensively, he’s done some great things for us.
UConn made a desperate effort to get back into the game. Down three points, Creighton tried to intentionally foul the Huskies as they were not in the bonus yet. On the second of back-to-back intentional fouls by Steven Ashworth, Diarra hoisted up a 3-pointer which would have tied the game. However, the officiating crew called it a foul on the floor, forcing the Huskies to inbound the ball again.
“The refs are going to call what they call,” Diarra said. “They did a good job today. Those missed calls are not the reason why we lost.”
UConn is now 3-2 in January, with some comparing the opening month of the year to January 2023, when the team went 3-5.
“We’ve shown tons of vulnerabilities that our past teams have not shown,” Hurley said. “We’ve got to find a way to win enough of these games. The Butler game coming up– just gut these games out.”
The Huskies showed promise offensively with Ball and Diarra chipping in 15 points apiece while Jaylin Stewart had a promising game with 14 points.
“[Stewart has] had these 14-point games that he’s followed up with a [0-point game],” Hurley said. “He’s got to stay consistent.”
UConn slides to 2-8 all-time against Creighton. They are now at risk of falling out of the AP Poll. However, the team’s focus will now be on Butler, who comes to the XL Center on Tuesday night.