Creighton ends UConn's 28-game home winning streak, notches huge NCAA Tournament résumé win | Zagsblog
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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Thursday / January 30.
  • Creighton ends UConn’s 28-game home winning streak, notches huge NCAA Tournament résumé win

    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    Creighton snapped UConn’s 28-game home winning streak and earned a huge NCAA Tournament résumé win in the process.

    The Bluejays went into Gampel Pavilion and emerged with a dramatic 68-63 victory that marked UConn’s first home loss since they fell to Xavier on Jan. 25, 2023. Creighton has now won 8 of its last 10 against the two-time defending NCAA champions. Last February, Creighton beat then-No. 1 UConn in Omaha, 85-66.

    The home team had won five straight before Saturday.

    The Bluejays improved to 12-6, 5-2 in the Big East, while UConn fell to 13-5, 5-2.

    “This team wasn’t responsible for those long winning streaks,” Hurley told reporters, via Dave Borges. “The tenacious teams that were elite defensively, elite rebounding … those are the teams that built that long winning streak.”

    He added: “We’re a good team, top-20, top-25 type team. But the defense and rebounding is nothing like it’s been.”

    It was Creighton’s second road win of the season.

    UConn used an 11-1 run to take a 59-58 lead after they trailed 57-48.

    UConn’s Alex Karaban hit a floater in the paint to cut the deficit to 64-63 with 22. 7 seconds left.

    Steven Ashworth (14 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds) hit two free throws with 17.3 seconds left to make it 66-63.

    Hassan Diarra was fouled by Ashworth with 7.8 seconds left, but the officials called it a non-shooting foul.

    Karaban, who tweaked his ankle in the second half, missed a 3-pointer off the rim in the final seconds and Ryan Kalkbrenner grabbed the rebound and then hit two free throws to make it 68-63.

    Jamiya Neal led Creighton 24 points and Kalbrenner had 16 with 10 rebounds.

    Diarrra and Solo Ball scored 15 apiece for UConn, which continues to play without star freshman Liam McNeeley. Jaylin Stewart added 14 points in the loss.

    “I’m not sure if Liam, when he returns, is going to be able to fix the lack of tenacity that we have right now,” Hurley said. “We’re a shell of ourselves, from the defensive standpoint.”

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    Written by

    Zagoria@hotmail.com

    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

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