University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Creighton
No. 1 Huskies Ready For Top-15 Tilt At Creighton
2/19/2024 2:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
OMAHA – The No. 1 UConn men's basketball team (24-2, 14-1 BIG EAST) looks to continue its historic run when it heads west to take on No. 15 Creighton (19-7, 10-5 BIG EAST) on Tuesday night. Tip-off from the CHI Health Center is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and will air on FS1 with Kevin Kugler and Bill Raftery on the call.
Connecticut is riding a 14-game winning streak into Tuesday night's tilt, tied for the longest single-season conference winning streak in BIG EAST history. In its most recent outing on Saturday UConn made an emphatic statement, knocking off then-No. 4 Marquette by a score of 81-53 in a showdown atop the conference standings. Donovan Clingan (Bristol, Conn.) led the way for UConn against MU with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double and Tristen Newton chipped in 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
UConn is looking to continue to turn the tides in its all-time series with Creighton, one it trails 6-2 all-time. After CU won the first five meetings in the series from 2020-22, UConn earned a split last season and then won the first match-up this year. That contest with a 62-48 slugfest taken by Connecticut, as the Huskies got 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists from Newton while stifling the potent CU offense.
The Huskies currently lead the BIG EAST in nearly every major statistical category, including both scoring offense and scoring defense. Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) leads a balanced UConn attack with 15.2 points per game, ranking third in the nation and first in the conference with a 44.3 percent mark from 3-point range. Newton is second on the team with 15.0 points per game and leads the squad with 6.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, recently garnering spots on the Wooden Award and Naismith Award late season watch lists.
Also in double-figures for Connecticut are Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) at 14.6 per game, Clingan at 12.3 per contest and Stephon Castle (Covington, Ga.) with 10.8 points per game. Clingan adds 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 64.4 percent from the floor, while Castle leads all BIG EAST freshmen in scoring, rebounding (4.4 rpg) and assists (3.2 apg).
The Bluejays host Connecticut with a 19-7 record on the year and a 10-5 mark in BIG EAST play, sitting at third place in the league table. Creighton enters the contest on a high note with three-straight wins, including a decisive road victory at Butler on Saturday. The Bluejays boast one of the most potent trios in the country in Baylor Scheierman (18.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 4.0 apg), Trey Alexander (17.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.7 apg) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 64.1 FG%). Per Kenpom, CU is top-25 in the country in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Following Tuesday night's road tilt the Huskies will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 24 to host Villanova at 8 p.m. for Bleed Blue, Wear White night at Gampel Pavilion. ESPN's College GameDay will originate from campus and air from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
