NEW YORK – The three-seed UConn men's basketball team (23-10) dropped a 71-62 decision to two-seed Creighton (24-9) on Friday night in the Semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Playing on Friday night at The Garden for the fifth-straight season, UConn could not overcome a double-digit halftime deficit despite a late charge.
Down as many as 17 in the second half, the Huskies went on a nine-plus minute 16-2 run to pull all the way back within a possession but could not get over the hump. The Bluejays capitalized on a disastrous defensive first half from Connecticut to score 46 in the opening frame – shooting 75.0 percent and scoring the second-most points in a half against the Huskies this season. UConn flipped the script in the second half and held Creighton to 30.8 percent shooting and only 25 points, but went cold late and finished under 40 percent shooting in the second stanza.
Solo Ball and Liam McNeeley tied for the team-high with 13 points apiece while Hassan Diarra notched 11 points, six rebounds and a steal. Tarris Reed Jr. had a big second half and finished with six points and a game-high eight rebounds, but Husky captain Alex Karaban was limited by foul trouble and scored six points without a 3-pointer. McNeeley also did not connect from downtown as the two usually-sure-sighted shooters both couldn't find the range. For Creighton, Jasen Green and Jamiya Neal each scored a game-high 19.
How it Happened
Diarra got the Huskies going with back-to-back 3-pointers to kick off the contest, as both offenses were on display in the early goings. UConn trailed 13-8 at the first media stoppage, before Diarra's third 3-pointer of the half preceded a Karaban floater which tied the contest at 15-all at 13:26 of the first.
The Bluejays would go up six midway through the first, but the Huskies answered right back as a Jayden Ross 3-pointer and Ball second chance lay-in made it 28-26 CU before a timeout with 7:15 to go in the opening stanza. Karaban tied the game after the stop, but again the Huskies were unable to pull ahead. Creighton responded with the next seven points and UConn called for time down 35-28 with 4:03 on the timer.
The Bluejays would extend the run to 11-0 and the lead to double-digits for the first time before a McNeeley floater at the two-minute mark snapped the spurt. A buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Aidan Mahaney to close the frame got UConn back within 46-35 at the break, after Creighton shot an absurd 18-of-24 (75.0 percent) in the first half.
The Bluejay offense stayed hot to start the second as they built their lead to the largest of the night at 55-38. The Huskies answered with assertion, ripping off 12-straight over the next four minutes to close the gap and force a Creighton timeout after a second-chance Mahaney triple at 12:11 made it 55-50.
The Huskies continued to stack stops, and the prolonged run expanded to 16-2 over more than nine minutes of action after a Reed Jr. put-back made it 57-54 with 7:04 to play. After a pair of 50-50 loose balls were awarded to the Bluejays, a 3-pointer from Neal at 5:16 made it 62-56 in favor of Creighton and prompted a UConn timeout.
Ball hit a floater off the stop, but the Bluejays answered with the next four to go back up eight at 66-58 inside of the final three minutes. McNeeley hit a runner with 1:48 to go and the Huskies called for time down six. That was the closest UConn would get late, as the two sides traded stops until the clock became a foe and Connecticut was forced to attempt the foul game to extend the game. The Bluejays did enough from the line late to salt away the win.
Inside The Numbers
- UConn shot 42.6 percent (26-61) from the floor and 38.1 percent (8-21) from downtown, versus 52.0 (26-50) and 35.3 (6-17) marks for Creighton
- After the dismal first half, UConn held Creighton 7-of-25 from the floor in the second half before an uncontested late dunk
- In two second halves at the BIG EAST Tournament, UConn held its two opponents to 13-of-50 (26.0 percent) shooting
- The squads finished tied at 31 in rebounding – snapping an 11-game streak from the Huskies of out-rebounding their opponent
- UConn turned 12 offensive rebounds into a 19-9 edge in second chance points
- The Huskies had only six turnovers but recorded a season-low seven assists on 26 field goals
- Connecticut finished with a 4-2 edge in blocks, getting a pair from Reed Jr.
- UConn attempted only four free throws while the Jays took 18
News and Notes
- The Huskies are now 43-30 all-time at the BIG EAST Tournament and 7-4 under Dan Hurley
- They also fall to 77-62 all-time at MSG and 15-8 under Hurley at the Mecca
- UConn is 3-9 all-time against Creighton and 0-2 against the Jays in the BIG EAST Tournament
- Diarra scored in double-figures for the 14th time this season and the 28th time in his career
- The point guard notched his ninth game this season with at least five rebounds
- Diarra hit three 3-pointers in the first seven minutes, tying his season-high
- The setback snapped a five-game winning streak for the Huskies
Up Next
UConn will await its NCAA Tournament destination and opponent, to be announced on Selection Sunday later this week.
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