On Wednesday evening, Dan Hurley’s Huskies experienced an uncharacteristic and significant defeat at Gampel Pavilion.
The No. 5 ranked UConn squad unraveled during the closing moments, enabling Creighton, a team that has faced difficulties throughout a challenging year in Omaha, to secure an impressive 91-84 upset triumph. This marked the most substantial win of the current season for the Bluejays, whose record stands at 14-13, requiring additional assistance to even qualify for the NCAA tournament.
For UConn, this defeat represented only their third of the entire season, yet it critically jeopardized their aspirations for securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and simultaneously created an opportunity for Rick Pitino’s St. John’s team to potentially seize the Big East championship.
Creighton exhibited no difficulty maintaining pace with UConn throughout the entire contest. The Bluejays went into halftime deadlocked with the Huskies, subsequently unleashing a significant 14-5 scoring spree in the second half that effectively neutralized UConn’s offensive production. They also induced a period where the Huskies misfired on 10 out of 11 attempts, temporarily extending their advantage to 12 points before comfortably securing the seven-point victory.
Blake Harper effectively clinched the outcome when he sank a crucial corner 3-pointer mere seconds following a Silas Demary layup at the opposite end. Harper’s successful shot extended Creighton’s advantage to 10 points with only 90 seconds remaining.
Josh Dix spearheaded Creighton’s effort with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Nik Graves contributed an additional 18 points. Harper concluded the game with 12 points as a reserve.
This victory appeared to materialize unexpectedly for the Bluejays. Prior to Wednesday evening’s matchup, they had experienced defeats in six of their preceding eight games. Their sole wins during that period were by a slender combined margin of two points. Moreover, their record against Quad I opponents stood at a mere 1-8 before this contest.
Despite this, an NCAA tournament invitation remains improbable for Creighton unless they can defeat No. 17 St. John’s this Saturday in Manhattan and subsequently make a deep run in the Big East tournament. Nevertheless, Wednesday’s triumph represented a significant stride towards accomplishing that goal.
Braylon Mullins spearheaded UConn’s scoring with 25 points and six rebounds, with Demary contributing 17 points and nine assists. Key player Alex Karaban was limited to merely two points after converting only 1-of-6 field goal attempts, signifying his least productive performance of the season.
Following a season start where they claimed victory in 22 of their initial 23 games, UConn has now incurred two defeats in their most recent four matchups, including a prior loss at St. John’s last week. This latest setback shifts the Huskies from their top position in the Big East standings, placing them half a game adrift of the Red Storm. Furthermore, if they fail to perform flawlessly, or nearly so, for the remainder of their schedule, securing a premier seed in the NCAA tournament might become unattainable.
The upcoming rematch between the two leading Big East teams next week has unexpectedly gained considerable significance as the conference tournament approaches.
