UConn basketball fell on the road to Xavier, 76-72.
The Cintas Center was rocking as fans were waiting outside for hours ahead of tipoff to see their Xavier Knights clash against UConn basketball. The teams previous matchup came down to the wire with UConn basketball escaping in OT with the win.
The first half of this game began with a strong start by Xavier, who came out firing and UConn fell behind by 10 points early. UConn basketball battled back with several runs to cut into the deficit, only to see Xavier go on a run to build the lead back up.
Both team shot the ball with high efficiency with UConn at 52% from the floor and Xavier at 54%. Somehow UConn found a way to go into halftime with the lead after Mahaney hit a three but then gave up a two-point buzzer beater to Dayvion McKnight to end the half.
The second half was just as tightly contested with several swings. Samson Johnson was an absolute stud scoring 12 points and having a career high 5 blocks. Alex Karaban fouled out with 3:27 left on the game clock with UConn falling behind by 8. UConn did not back down and was able to cut the deficit to 2 with just over a minute remaining.
After back to back stops by Samson Johnson, UConn had had a chance to take the lead but Solo Ball missed a three point shot. Hassan Diarra was able to grab the offensive rebound and after a timeout to draw up a final play, UConn was unable to get a shot off with Xavier playing excellent defense and forcing Jayden Ross into a shot clock violation.
This was a huge win for a Xavier team that is sitting right on the bubble and another tough last second loss for a UConn team that desperately needs Liam McNeeley to return from his ankle injury.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Came up short tonight@keybank pic.twitter.com/LXEcYUoGTR
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) January 26, 2025
Takeaway #1: UConn basketball is playing with fire.
Losing on the road to Xavier will not crush UConn’s tournament chances but this was another missed opportunity to secure a Quad 1 win. UConn has had several games come down to the wire and have repeatedly found themselves on the wrong side of the coin.
UConn now has a 1 point loss to Colorado, losses to Memphis and Villanova by 2 points, a 5 point loss Creighton, and now this 4 point loss to Xavier. Each of these games saw UConn with the ball with a chance to tie or win the game and UConn was not able to execute down the stretch which is so frustrating for a team that has National Championship expectations.
If even half of these games went UConn’s way then the team would be sitting solidly as a projected top three seed. Instead, UConn basketball is hovering around the 6 or 7 seed line. It rubs salt in the wound even more knowing that several of these loses were without Liam McNeeley and if he had played, then these games may have turned out differently.
On the bright side, UConn basketball has several chances to bounce back, as they have yet to face Marquette or St. John’s and will play each of these teams twice. A road matchup with Creighton is also looming which would feel great to win considering UConn has never won in Omaha.
Dan Hurley has said that Liam McNeeley is making progress and UConn would love to have him available as they have three consecutive Quad 1 games in a row once February begins.
Takeaway #2: Xavier finds themselves on the right side of the Bubble.
What a win for a Xavier basketball team who desperately needed one. Xavier was listed as one of the first four out on several bracketology projections and a win like this should see Xavier on the right side of the Bubble.
Xavier has missed out on several chances to get quality wins, most recently blowing a 16 point lead to St. John’s and losing in overtime in their last game. Other heartbreaking losses include a 2 point loss to Marquette, a 3 point loss to crosstown rival Cincinnati, and a 4 point loss to TCU.
So needless to say this win has to feel good for Xavier who deliver a signature victory after having a 1-7 record in Quad 1 games coming into the contest. Up next is a massive game on the road against Creighton. If they win that matchup, then Xavier should safely be in the field.
Takeaway #3: Don’t forget about Aidan Mahaney!
UConn basketball has had solid guard play between starters Hassan Diarra and Solo Ball so it’s easy to forget about the Saint Mary’s transfer. Aidan Mahaney made sure Xavier fans remembered who he was after what was possibly his best game he has played for UConn.
With Hassan Diarra in foul trouble, Dan Hurley called upon Aidan Mahaney to run the offense and he gave UConn basketball fans a glimpse of what the team could look like with him on the floor.
He showed growing chemistry with Solo Ball as Aidan Mahaney was able to free up the sharpshooter, giving him several open looks from deep. What was just as impressive was the beautiful passes he delivered to cutters, giving UConn easy layups in a time in the first half when they desperately needed them.
He was in the rotation down the stretch for the team and was able to hit clutch free throws to cut into the deficit. Even in the loss, Aidan Mahaney played one of his best games in a UConn uniform by dropping 14 points in a tough road environment and should see some expanded minutes in future games.
Next up for UConn (14-6): vs. DePaul (10-11) – Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. EST
Next up for Xavier (13-8): at Creighton (14-6) – Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. EST