‘Fired up’ McNeeley fuels UConn win at Creighton

Feb 12, 2025, 01:55 AM ET OMAHA, Neb.– UConn freshman star Liam McNeeley had not played in front of a crowd as hostile as the one the Huskies faced in Omaha on Tuesday night. He discovered the environment inspiring.In what coach Dan Hurley called one of the very best efficiencies all season in college basketball, McNeeley scored a career-high 38 points while willing the Huskies to a 70-66 victory over No. 24 Creighton.” I had a blast,”McNeeley said.

“Energy feeds energy, and I was feeling it.”Some of his motivation was drawn from the

Creighton students, who have heckled Hurley unmercifully since UConn started making annual journeys to Omaha when the school rejoined the Big East in 2020.” A great deal of student areas have actually started chanting a three-word chant

before the game, during the game, during timeouts,”McNeeley stated, referring to indecencies directed at Hurley.”A chance at Coach is a shot at the group, so it gets me fired up. “Editor’s Picks The 6-foot-7 McNeeley, playing his 2nd game given that returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for 8 games, is having to get used to playing a point-forward role with point player Hassan Diarra fighting a knee injury that limited him to seven minutes against the Bluejays.McNeeley opened UConn’s scoring with the very first of his season-high five 3-pointers on 10 efforts. He was 12-of-22 from the field and got 10 rebounds.”I was quite confident once I got my first shot off,”he said.Hurley stated McNeeley makes UConn a top-10-or-12 group in the country when he’s healthy and in rhythm. UConn went 5-3 without McNeeley and today dropped out of the AP Top 25

for the first time given that the start of the 2022-23 season.”He’s going to be a top-10(NBA draft)choice,”Hurley said.” No freshman has had a more excellent efficiency in this kind of environment against a team like that.”McNeeley was at his animated best when he hit back-to-back threes and soaked off a steal as the Huskies took their first lead midway through the 2nd half. When Creighton called a timeout, McNeeley pumped his right fist and screamed at

fans behind the UConn bench. Then he turned to the Creighton student area and waved his arms.The night ended with McNeeley taking down the rebound, getting fouled and making two complimentary tosses with 4 seconds left. Already, fans were heading to the exits.” I believed the health club was really quiet,” he said.”You could not hear a peep.

They were loud when it was going well, however the crowd waned quite quickly.”