Following a shocking 69-68 loss at Seton Hall, the UConn men’s basketball team hit one of the lowest of lows all season long. After all, Liam McNeeley had just returned from injury and put together a 38-point All-American performance at No. 24 Creighton just four days before. Coming into their matchup Tuesday night, the Huskies needed to regain their lost momentum, as significant March Madness seeding implications hung in the balance. However, to get back into the win column, the Huskies needed to avenge one of their losses from earlier this season on Tuesday night, and they did just that, erasing a 14 point deficit in a major 66-59 win over Villanova.
Connecticut did not get out of the gates fast, as the program opened 2 of 17 from the field, scoring only one basket in the first five minutes. While it also took Villanova’s a minute to find their footing, once they did, they were lethal. The Huskies did not help their cause, as some poor passes and defense later, and the Wildcats opened Tuesday night up 16-6.
Eric Dixon thrived on drawing fouls, as the senior forward drew five fouls in the first 20 minutes. This allowed Dixon to finish the half with 12 points, including a 6-8 line from the free throw line. This alone made up for his less than stellar 2-9 shooting slash, making him a significant contributor early on.
However, after a UConn timeout, the program came out swinging, going on an 8-0 run of their own. Whether it was Solo Ball cashing in on a three, or Tarris Reed Jr. scrapping for a bucket in the paint, the Huskies were firing on all cylinders. UConn adjusted, and it was as if a flip had switched, as they brought the contest to within two points. However, it was the three-point shooting of Jordan Longino that gave the Wildcats the extra push they needed. The senior guard made both of his threes in the final five minutes of the first half to add onto an excellent 13 point first half.
As a team, the Wildcats finished the first half 7-9 from downtown, while the Huskies finished 1-9 in this regard. Ball cooled off after scoring a couple of baskets on UConn’s best scoring run, finishing with five points on 2-7 shooting. These factors led to Villanova being up by eight points at halftime.
As the second half rolled around, it was the same story for the Huskies. The program was unable to find its footing and the Villanova offense excelled, going up by as much as 14 points with slightly less than 12 minutes to go. Wooga Poplar built off a five-point first half in a major way, putting up 14 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes of work, with a majority of his buckets coming in within the first 10 minutes. However, outside of the Philadelphia native, the program struggled to find a consistent scorer, as all other scorers combined for 11 points. However, the story quickly became how fast UConn bounced back and it was true team effort.
Tarris Reed Jr. was an integral part of Connecticut’s comeback effort, putting up 10 points on 5-7 shooting, including snagging five boards in the second half. This was a starch contrast to the first half of the contest where Reed was not as aggressive and didn’t fight for a bucket like he can. Reed attributes his performance to his faith in the Bible.
“Honestly if I’m being real I just got back in my bible,” Reed told the media. “I’ve been so caught up in my day-to-day life, so I woke up this morning and I was like man It’s been a tough month straight, coach has been on me and it feels like the world was coming down on me. Sat and spent some time with the Lord and got my head straight, got my mind straight and ultimately I get my confidence, so he was the one carrying me on the court tonight.”
However, it was McNeeley who finally put UConn within striking distance and eventually reclaiming the lead. With five and a half minutes left, the freshman swished a massive shot from beyond the arc to bring the contest to within three points. This bucket finally got the XL Center crowd into this contest. UConn’s defense also implemented a full court press that threw Villanova’s offense for a loop. This was a significant reason why Dixon struggled to carry over his excellent offense from the first 20 minutes. The forward finished with five points on 1-4 shooting, and Villanova Head Coach Kyle Neptune talked about how UConn’s full court pressure affected everybody
“They came after us,” Neptune noted of UConn’s press. “It was a press they hadn’t used as much. They did a good job being physical, taking us out of what we wanted to do.”
This press was like the defense that Connecticut faced on Feb. 7 against the St. John’s Red Storm and it similarly changed the momentum of the contest. However, this time around McNeeley’s efforts were not in vain. With nearly no time to go, the freshman hit the dagger free throws to cap off an excellent 16 point second half performance, including a 9-9 slash from the charity stripe.
Tuesday was a massive win for Connecticut, as the program not only stays in contention for a higher Big East tournament seed but also avoids the negative long term effects that would come with two straight losses. However, this team has been prone to playing better when down, as the Huskies have mounted 14+ point comebacks to win on four occasions this season, with Tuesday being no different. How fast the program can adjust to what their opponents give them will be something to watch, especially this weekend. The Huskies have a chance to avenge another one of their losses this Sunday in “Storrs South,” against St. John’s.