UConn's Dan Hurley drops 'resilient' truth bomb after beating Gonzaga
12/15/2024 10:14 AM
After securing a 77-71 win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, Dan Hurley said six words that UConn Huskies fans have been hoping to hear ever since the two-time defending champions dropped three games in three days in the Maui Invitational:
“The group’s got its confidence back.”
The Huskies have now won four games in a row after dropping those three games in Maui. Two of those wins — Saturday night vs. Gonzaga and a week and a half ago against Baylor — came against ranked opponents. Despite trailing for only one combined minute of action against the Zags, the Huskies and Bulldogs were locked in a ‘dog fight’ (pun intended) all night long.
After the game, while talking with longtime college basketball reporter Andy Katz, Hurley joked that he was exhausted and “would love an IV,” before explaining how this victory over the 8th-ranked team in the country highlighted how far his team has come over the last few weeks.
“The early season struggles have made us really strong and really resilient. It’s really brought the group together.” @TheAndyKatz caught up with Dan Hurley to talk @UConnMBB‘s win over Gonzaga and how the Huskies have grown from their slip-ups to start the year pic.twitter.com/ToBfOIXyTg
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 15, 2024
“For me, going through that was a healthy thing for my ego as a coach, to experience failure and to struggle with my leadership and emotions out there and not being the best coach I’m capable of being,” Hurley told Katz. “I think it’s gonna make me such a better coach because it really got me back to my purpose.”
From top to bottom, it looked like the Huskies found their purpose on Saturday night, and no player performed better than freshman forward Liam McNeeley, who played the best game of his young career, leading all scorers with 26 points while adding 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Tarris Reed Jr. and Jaylin Stewart were the only two other Huskies in double-figures.
After the game, Hurley applauded his star freshman, who through eleven games this season is UConn’s leading scorer.
“There’s so much pressure on him to rebound, to defend, to be our second or leading scorer,” Hurley said. “He helped us gut that one out tonight.”
With their non-conference schedule behind them, the Huskies now prepare to defend their Big East crown. UConn opens conference play on December 18th when they host the Xavier Musketeers at the XL Center in Hartford.
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