UConn coach Dan Hurley led his No. 3 Huskies to a nervy 69-64 win over the No. 25 Seton Hall Pirates on Tuesday to break a four-year losing streak at Prudential Center. It was UConn’s 13th consecutive win, and it improved the Huskies to 17-1 for the season.
Hurley’s team led by 13.0 points at halftime and 18.0 points with 17:20 remaining in what looked like a routine win, before the Pirates stormed back and made it closer than the final scoreline indicated.
Dan Hurley Addresses Gritty Win Against Pirates
The Huskies’ second-half performance was marred by mistakes and is a cause for concern for Hurley, as his team committed 17 turnovers, allowing the Pirates to cut UConn’s lead to one point with 48 seconds remaining. Seton Hall’s full-court press unsettled UConn, and they shot a woeful 3-of-17 from beyond the arc in a nervy second half.
Talented guard Silas Demary Jr. scored four clutch free throws, and Braylon Mullins blocked Mike Williams III’s game-tying effort from deep to close out the gritty road win for the visitors.
During his postgame news conference, Hurley revealed how hard the game was for his team against a physical Seton Hall team.
“Obviously, we had some trouble versus their pressure, because it’s hard to deal with over a 40-minute game. It was gonna be a battle, but we did a good job of building enough of a cushion to just get out of here with a really good road win,” Hurley said. “I wouldn’t want to see Seton Hall’s name drawn next to mine in the NCAA Tournament this year.”
“It’s the will to win, and I’ll say about Seton Hall, any time you’re coaching against Shaheen Holloway, one of the best coaches in the game, your team better have the will to win because they just play so hard, but, ya know, we’re UConn.”
After being dethroned as Big East champions by the St. John’s Red Storm and as the national champions by the Florida Gators last season, Hurley has rebuilt his UConn roster, but the return of two-time champion Alex Karaban was hailed as the ultimate needle mover.
After the gutsy win against Seton Hall, Hurley instead pinpointed senior center Tarris Reed Jr. as the key to UConn becoming national champions once again.
“When we’ve been championship-level contenders, we’ve had a dominant big, and he’s (Reed) got a chance, as he’s healthy, to be one of the best big guys in the country,” Hurley said. “He imposed his will on the game against a team that’s incredibly physical. When we have championship success, we have All-American level centers, he’s got that ability.”
UConn’s 7-0 Big East start is their best in decades, but the ugly win over Seton Hall will keep Hurley on his toes as March Madness approaches and he seeks to return the Huskies to the top of college basketball.
