USATSI
No. 18 UConn held off a late rally from No. 8 Gonzaga for a 77-71 win on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. UConn star freshman Liam McNeeley led the charge in the Huskies’ biggest win of the 2024-25 season — scoring a career-high 26 points for his second outing of at least 20 points this season.
McNeeley recorded seven rebounds and four assists after intermission to help his team pull off the upset. Michigan transfer Tarris Reed Jr. scored 12 points and added six rebounds and three blocks. Reed and McNeeley were two of five UConn players that scored at least eight points.
The Huskies have now won their last four games since going 0-3 in the Maui Invitational last month. UConn was coming off a 76-65 win over Texas on the road just days after knocking off Baylor in the Big 12-Big East Battle.
Khalif Battle scored a team-high 21 points for Gonzaga, while Ryan Nembhard added 16. Gonzaga took a 38-37 lead with 1:47 remaining in the first half and never led again after UConn star forward Alex Karaban knocked down a pair of free throws moments later. Gonzaga was coming off a 90-89 overtime loss to Kentucky last weekend and has now lost three of its last five games.
UConn (8-3) opens Big East play against Xavier on Wednesday. Gonzaga (7-3) faces Nicholls State on the same day.
Welcome to the spotlight, Liam McNeeley
McNeeley picked the best possible time to have the best performance of his young career. McNeeley scored a career-high 26 points and was the difference in UConn’s upset win over Gonzaga. McNeeley has been solid through the first month and a half of his career, but this could be the performance that defines the rest of the season for him and his team. McNeeley was viewed as a perfect system fit for what UConn wanted to do. There was always going to be an opportunity for McNeeley to step into the spotlight because of all the talent the program lost from its national title team. Today was that day.
Jaylin Stewart had 10 points and a big hand in UConn’s victory. Getty Images
UConn ain’t dead yet
UConn looked uncharacteristically bad in the Maui Invitational. A program that bullied the rest of the NCAA Tournament field and cruised to its second consecutive national title eight months ago looked vulnerable during the early portion of the season. As long as Dan Hurley is in charge, UConn is never out of it. Wins over Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga are what the doctor ordered heading into Big East competition next week. This win could help UConn get back on track for good.
What’s going on with Gonzaga?
Gonzaga started the season red-hot with wins over Baylor, Arizona State and San Diego State. The Bulldogs entered the Battle 4 Atlantis with a 5-0 record but have since lost three of their last five games. The losses to West Virginia, Kentucky and UConn aren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it could hurt the Bulldogs come Selection Sunday. Having wins over Kentucky and/or UConn would’ve been a massive development heading into WCC play.
The good news for Gonzaga is they have another opportunity for a Quad 1 win later this month when they face UCLA at a neutral site. The Bruins have looked like a different team since losing to New Mexico in the second game of the season, and that game could be a real opportunity for Gonzaga to get back on track and add a marquee win in the process.
