University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Creighton
UConn Travels To Creighton For Final Road Game Of Season
3/1/2022 1:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / March 1, 2022
The UConn men's basketball team will ride a five-game winning streak into Omaha, Neb., on Wednesday, to take on Creighton at CHI Health Center in the Huskies' final true road game of the 2021-22 season. The game is set for an 8:30 tip (EST) and will be televised on FS1.
With two games remaining on the regular-season schedule, the No. 18/19 Huskies could still finish second, third or fourth in the BIG EAST standings, which will determine their seeding for next week's BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York. UConn has already secured a bye through the tourney's first round and will start tourney play in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
The Huskies (21-7 overall, 12-5 BIG EAST) are currently in third place, one game ahead of Creighton (19-9, 11-6).
UConn will be gunning for its first six-game winning streak since winning six straight NCAA Tournament games on its way to the 2014 National Championship. The Huskies haven't won six consecutive conference games since the 2008-09 season.
UConn is coming off an 86-77 win at Georgetown on Sunday, led by R.J. Cole's 18 points, 14 by Isaiah Whaley and 11 each off the bench from Tyler Polley and Jordan Hawkins. The 86 points was the highest scoring game for UConn since Jan. 25, when it defeated Georgetown at Gampel Pavilion, 96-73.
Cole still tops the Huskies in scoring (16.1) with Adama Sanogo (14.9) and Tyrese Martin (13.3) also averaging double figures. Sanogo (8.2) and Martin (7.4) are the top rebounders and Cole leads in assists (4.2).
The Huskies lead the BIG EAST in rebound margin (+6.9) and blocked shots (6.3) and rank second in scoring margin (+5.4), scoring defense (67.9), and offensive rebounds per game (13.1).
Creighton, which defeated UConn, 59-55, on Feb. 1 at the XL Center in Hartford, had a six-game winning streak snapped by a 72-51 loss at Providence on Saturday. The Bluejays are led in scoring (14.3) and rebounding (7.8) by forward Ryan Hawkins, with center Ryan Kalkbrenner (12.2) and guard Alex O'Connell (12.0) also averaging double figures. The Bluejays suffered a tough blow when freshman point guard Ryan Nembhard suffered a season-ending injury on Feb. 23.
UConn has evened its season series against three other teams that it lost to earlier this season and Creighton would be the fourth. The Bluejays would be the only team UConn would have to defeat on the road to even the season series.
The Huskies will finish their regular season with Senior Day on Saturday, March 5 against DePaul at Gampel Pavilion (5 p.m.). Â Â
