It’s the first time in five tries that UConn has defeated Creighton at the CHI Health Center. The Huskies are now 3-8 all-time against Creighton. Most of the credit goes to forward Liam McNeeley. In just his second game back after an ankle injury that kept him out for eight games, the freshman phenom absolutely went off. We’re talking about a historic night, a performance that put his name alongside some all-time greats.

McNeeley fed off the crowd’s energy and put on one of the best performances of the college basketball season, according to coach Dan Hurley. The kid dropped a career-high 38 points in 38 minutes, along with 10 rebounds and five threes, leading the Huskies to a gutsy 70-66 win over No. 24 Creighton. 

That’s the highest-scoring game for any UConn player since James Bouknight’s 40-piece in 2020—also against Creighton. And to top it off, it’s the most points ever scored by a UConn freshman in a regular-season Big East game. 

And if that wasn’t enough, McNeeley just joined some legendary company. He became only the third Division I freshman in the last 20 years to record 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ threes in a road game. The other two? Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. 

“Chef Curry” did it in 2016, while KD pulled it thrice in his collegiate career. And obviously, after such a big milestone, which coach wouldn’t be proud? Hurley, who knows a thing or two about championship-caliber talent, didn’t hold back. “He’s got swagger,” he said. “He’s got the swagger that guys like Cam Spencer and Donovan Clingan had. That kind of F-you type of thing… We missed that.” 

We know Hurley is still adjusting to life without his championship squad. With Spencer and Clingan off to the pros, only Alex Karaban remains from last year’s title-winning team. But make no mistake—he sees the freshman heading in the same direction. “He’s going to be a top-10 (NBA draft) pick,” the HC said.

And with performances and stats like this in just his freshman year, who’s going to argue? But what exactly fueled McNeeley’s monster night? 

What Fired Up Liam McNeeley?

It turns out the Creighton home crowd (the student section) did. Since UConn rejoined the Big East, Hurley has been enemy No. 1 in Omaha. Fans ensured to remind him of that with some… let’s say, “creative” chants. 

But McNeeley wasn’t having it. “A shot at Coach is a shot at the team,” he said. “So it gets me fired up.” And once he got that first shot to fall, he knew it was going to be a good night. “I thought the gym was really quiet,” he added. “They were loud when it was going well, but the crowd died down pretty fast.”

In the second half, he hit back-to-back threes, threw down a dunk off a steal, and silenced the crowd in Omaha. When Creighton called a timeout, he turned to the fans, pumped his fist, and let them hear it. 

Then he looked straight at the Creighton student section and waved his arms, soaking it all in. By the time the final buzzer sounded, he had grabbed the last rebound, iced the game with two free throws, and sent the home fans packing.

So, all in all, it was a huge night for the Huskies. History was made, a tough crowd silenced, and a much-needed win after the St. John’s loss and falling out of the AP poll. Hope they keep this rhythm going when they face Seton Hall next to avoid dropping more games.