A record 18,129 people packed into the Fiserv Forum (600 over capacity) only to watch their home team trail for the entire game. And Dan Hurley & Co. walked away with a statement 77-69 win over No. 9 Marquette, keeping their Top 25 position intact and shifting the trajectory of their season. Now, from here things are only looking up because they’re about to get a major boost with the return of their third-best scorer.

UConn freshman Liam McNeeley, who has been sidelined with a high ankle sprain since January 1, is finally set to make his return. Head coach Dan Hurley delivered the much-awaited update after the Huskies’ big win, confirming that McNeeley should be available for Friday’s matchup against No. 15 St. John’s. 

“Liam will be at full strength as long as there are no setbacks,” the coach said, and that’s music to every UConn fan’s ears. The freshman phenom ranks third on the team in scoring average (13.6) and second in rebounding average (5.8). But looks like he won’t be returning alone. Reserve guard Ahmad Nowell has also been out with an ankle issue, and Hassan Diarra played through a leg injury but couldn’t contribute much.

Now, with almost a full week before their next game, there’s hope that the team will be in much better shape. “I think we’re going to come into the next game looking a lot healthier,” the HC added. 

While this does make us beyond happy, we have to appreciate the fact that UConn managed to pull off this win despite an unhealthy roster. This was one of their biggest wins of the season, and a lot of that credit goes to sophomore Solo Ball. 

He had the game of his life, dropping a career-high 25 points while shooting an absurd 7-of-9 from three-point range. His timing couldn’t have been better, as every one of those buckets seemed to come at a crucial moment. Jaylin Stewart also came out firing early, hitting three quick triples, while Alex Karaban played a full 40 minutes, adding 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Moreover, the Huskies were lights out offensively. They shot a season-best 59.5% (25 of 42) overall and 63.2 (12 of 19) from 3-point range. But, at the same time, they committed a season-high 25 turnovers. 

Dan Hurley still feels something is missing

As much as those numbers pop off the page, Dan Hurley wasn’t entirely satisfied. He felt his team still lacked the necessary intensity, especially in the second half. “There were stretches in the second half where we weren’t desperate enough,” he said. “We don’t play with the tenacity our past teams have played with. We got bailed out because Solo had a crazy shooting night.”

And along with intensity, while the offense was on fire, the Huskies’ defensive concerns did linger. Their struggles on that end have been a season-long issue. It’s particularly with on-ball defense and ball-screen execution. The difference in this game was that they executed better at defending the three-point line, holding Marquette to 32% from deep. 

That’s right in line with Marquette’s usual shooting percentage, but it’s a sign that UConn did a much better job closing out shooters, sticking to their rotations, and limiting easy looks. “We just had to come in and make sure that we focused on defense and that would set the tone for the rest of the game,” Solo Ball told Fox after the game. 

And while it wasn’t perfect, it was a step in the right direction. Now, UConn has a crucial stretch ahead. They have almost a week to get healthy before hosting St. John’s next Friday night. 

The Red Storm are currently leading the Big East (10-1), and with Dan Hurley’s crew trailing by two games, this is essentially a must-win matchup if they want to keep their regular-season title hopes alive. So, as good as this win felt, the real test is coming up. 

But with McNeeley’s return on the horizon and momentum on their side, UConn might just be hitting its stride at the perfect time.