Just after climbing back into the Top 25, No. 14 UConn suffered another upset on Saturday, falling to unranked Creighton after a failed comeback attempt. The Huskies, who trailed 35-28 at the half, rallied through the second half to retake the lead with less than four minutes left, and kept it a tight contest for the rest of the game.
With four seconds left, UConn forward Alex Karaban attempted a 3-pointer to tie the game, but it rebounded. A pair of free throws by Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner secured the Bluejays’ 68-63 victory.
The Huskies did everything they could to close the gap in the final minutes. With less than 30 seconds left, forward Jaylin Stewart slipped but made an impressive pass from the ground; the save gave Karaban a chance to score a floater that put UConn within one point of the Bluejays.
Creighton’s Jamiya Neal led both teams with 24 points, with Kalkbrenner pitching a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Steven Ashworth contributed 12 points, nine assists and six rebounds to the Bluejay victory.
UConn guards Hassan Diarra and Solo Ball each scored 15 points, Diarra also had six rebounds and seven assists, while Stewart added 14 points.
It’s been a tough run for the defending NCAA champions, who began the season atop the standings but fell after back-to-back losses to Memphis and Colorado at the Maui Invitational in November.
Since then, the Huskies have bounced back and notched some qualifying wins, including a huge 77-71 victory over Gonzaga. UConn reappeared in the AP poll in December, but between Saturday’s loss and a two-point loss to Villanova on Jan. 8, things could look bleak again for the Huskies. UConn head coach Dan Hurley, as always, will not be happy.