Rapid Recap: UConn falls to Memphis in Maui opener
By Serenity J. Bishop
The UConn Huskies’ road to a third consecutive National Championship hit a speed bump Monday in the opening round of the Maui Invitational as the Huskies fell to Memphis, 99-97, in a sloppy performance that went to overtime before the Tigers prevailed.
The Huskies struggled in the first half as the Tigers’ defensive pressure and aggressive, downhill offensive style slowed the Husky offense and drew them into foul trouble. Within the first 10 minutes, three starters (Samson Johnson, Liam McNeeley, and Solo Ball) recorded two fouls each, allowing Memphis to climb to a 20-17 lead.
Memphis’ physicality and intensity set the tone of the game, showing a massive step up in competition from what UConn had faced in the first four games against Le Moyne, New Hampshire, Sacred Heart, and East Texas A&M.
The Huskies managed to get a boost from their bench, as Tarris Reed Jr. and Jaylin Stewart entered the game, quickly made an impact, and played critical minutes down the stretch. The two combined to score 29 of UConn’s 40 first-half points. Reed led the Huskies with 15 at the break.
Stewart scored nine points in four minutes including seven straight to spark a 9-2 run to take the lead. He finished the half with 14 points, a career-high in a game, to help the Huskies find an offensive rhythm.
However, the second half was largely the same for the Huskies on the defensive end. Both teams battled throughout the first ten minutes with neither one finding separation until the Tigers’ Tyrese Hunter exploded for 17 points in the first 13 minutes of the half.
Memphis climbed to a 13-point lead and was up 12 with 3:18 left in the game, but to UConn’s credit, the Huskies didn’t fold. They closed it to within four points after McNeeley knocked down two big threes to make it 79-75.
Down three with just .9 seconds left, Ball knocked home the game-tying three-pointer to force overtime.
The Huskies took an early lead in the extra period, however, a crucial and controversial foul call on McNeeley for over the back and a technical foul on Dan Hurley gave Memphis a two-possession lead, which ultimately proved to be too much for the Huskies to overcome with time expiring.
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