University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
16-2,6-1Big East
Creighton
13-5,4-3Big East
No. 1 Huskies Down No. 18 Creighton At Gampel
1/17/2024 10:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
STORRS – The No. 1 UConn men's basketball team (16-2, 6-1 BIG EAST) turned in its best defensive performance of the season in a 62-48 win over No. 18 Creighton (13-5, 4-3 BIG EAST) on Wednesday night at a sold-out Gampel Pavilion. The win marked the sixth-straight for the Huskies and was their first game as the top team in America since 2009.
The Huskies held the normally potent Bluejays to the lowest output of any opponent this season, with the 48 points also tying the fewest Creighton has scored in a game this campaign. UConn dominated on the glass to the tune of a 48-32 rebounding advantage and forced 14 Creighton turnovers in the stifling effort.
Tristen Newton (El Paso, Texas) led UConn on the scoresheet with a game-high 16 points, adding game-highs of eight rebounds and five assists. Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) and Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) both added 13 points and grabbed seven and six rebounds, respectively.
The Huskies were bolstered in the win by the return of Donovan Clingan (Bristol, Conn.), who had missed the previous five games with an injury. Clingan played 16 minutes off the bench and recorded six points, five rebounds, two blocks and two assists.
How it Happened
It was a slow start offensively for both sides, before the Huskies rattled off a 10-0 run sparked by a pair of Newton 3-pointers to take a 19-12 lead midway through the first half. The Huskies kept up their defensive intensity throughout the half, holding CU scoreless for the final 3:54 of the opening stanza to take a 32-21 lead to the break.
After the Bluejays scored the opening basket of the second half, UConn clamped up again and rattled off a 9-0 run that saw it hold CU scoreless for nearly six minutes and take its largest lead at 41-23. At the 10:52 mark, Stephon Castle (Covington, Ga.) hit Clingan for an alley-oop to push the lead to 20 and force a Creighton timeout.
The Huskies kept a comfortable margin for the majority of the second half, until a late 13-2 run for the Bluejays cut the lead back to 10 at 56-46 with 2:31 to play. A Spencer layup after a stoppage ended the run, and from there the Huskies hit their free throws to ice away the 14-point win.
Inside the Numbers
- The Huskies held Creighton 34.6 percent shooting (18-52) from the floor and 23.1 percent shooting from 3-point range (6-26)
- On the other end, UConn shot a season-low 35.7 percent (25-70) from the floor and hit on 26.3 percent (5-19) from three
- UConn finished +16 on the glass, getting eight rebounds apiece from Castle and Newton
- The Huskies were +7 in turnover margin and out-scored CU 15-4 off miscues
- UConn turned 21 offensive rebounds and scored 19 second chance points
News and Notes
- UConn improves to 2-6 all-time against Creighton
- The Huskies are now 44-6 under Dan Hurley at Gampel Pavilion and have won 24 of 25 in the building
- Connecticut moves to 42-9 all-time when playing as the No. 1 team
- Creighton is the fifth ranked opponent UConn has faced this year, improving to 4-1 in those contests
- UConn has won eight straight home games in conference play, the longest such streak since a 14-game home conference wins from 2005-07
- The Huskies are now 12-0 this season when holding an opponent under 40 percent shooting
Up Next
The Huskies hit the road this weekend to take on longtime rival Villanova in Philadelphia. Tip-off from the Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 20 is set for 8 p.m.
