Marquette clinched a 68-62 triumph on Saturday, in a contest that saw UConn’s coach, Danny Hurley, dismissed in the game’s ultimate moment. This outcome not only denied the fourth-ranked Huskies a piece of the Big East regular-season championship but also jeopardized their prospects for a top seed in the NCAA tournament.
With UConn (27-4, 17-3) lagging 64-62, Silas Demary Jr. of the Huskies surged towards the hoop, guarded closely by Ben Gold. Demary’s attempt struck both the backboard and the rim, then ricocheted off several players before landing on the court.
Chase Ross of Marquette secured possession of the unpossessed ball and drew a foul with just one second remaining. Hurley vehemently disputed the absence of a penalty, which led to him being assessed two technical fouls. He then departed for the locker room, shaking his head in clear disapproval.
Ross converted four out of six foul shots, thus establishing the ultimate difference in the score.
Although the Red Storm had already secured the top seeding for the conference championship event commencing Wednesday in New York, UConn was striving to match No. 18 St. John’s for the Big East regular-season crown.
UConn’s shooting from beyond the arc was dismal, registering only 3-for-24. This marked their poorest 3-point field goal accuracy since recording 2-for-16 during a November 25, 2021, defeat against Michigan State. Demary tallied 17 points, and Tarris Reed Jr. contributed 16 for the Huskies.
For Marquette (12-19, 7-13), Nigel James Jr. amassed 19 points, Ross garnered 14, Royce Parham 13, and Adrien Stevens 11. The Golden Eagles concluded an underwhelming league campaign by triumphing in three of their recent four matchups. This included their initial victory as an unlisted squad against a top-five rival since overcoming No. 4 Wisconsin in December 2020.
Early in the second half, Parham delivered an uninterrupted sequence of eight points during an 11-0 surge, establishing Marquette’s permanent advantage. Though Marquette held a 12-point lead with five-and-a-half minutes remaining, UConn subsequently mounted a comeback.
Both squads anticipate the revelation of their initial adversaries in the Big East championship. Marquette commences championship action on Wednesday, while UConn will initially compete in Thursday’s quarterfinal round.
The Associated Press provided input for this account.