The hopes of a three-peat for UConn are back on track after their Maui horror show. Three consecutive wins have allowed Dan Hurley to banish the memories of three surprising losses on the bounce last month. Their latest outing saw them go up against No.8 Gonzaga at the Madison Square Garden and the result was the same as it has been in their last two meetings- a Huskers win. 

While the win was huge, it might have come at a significant cost.  In the first half, at 11:09, Johnson, UConn’s starting center, went up to block a shot but fell hard to the floor. It was a scary moment as he stayed motionless on the court, and play was stopped. The crowd was silent as medical staff attended to him.

After a few tense moments, the 22-year-old managed to get to his feet with the help of Dan Hurley, who got the crowd going for the young player. There were chants of “Sam-son, Sam-son” as Johnson left the court and went to the locker room. FOX later reported he wouldn’t return to action.

According to CT Insider’s David Borges, Johnson is now in concussion protocol, although he reportedly wanted to go back into the game, but stayed on the bench. 

Before going off injured, the center was having a solid game. He had four points on two dunks, along with two rebounds and one assist. Filling the big shoes left by Donovan Clingan, he is so far averaging 7.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks this season, and he has been a key player for UConn.

After the game, Hurley also addressed the situation with Johnson. “He was screaming at the end of the bench, ‘I’m good, I’m back.’ It’s a shame because he started that game in electrifying fashion. Offensively, we were humming when he was in the game.”

Despite Johnson’s absence, UConn managed to hold on and win the game. The Huskies opened up strong with a 13-2 run and managed to keep it close all game, even when Gonzaga rallied hard. As Johnson went out, UConn was leading 43-40 at the break. Freshman Liam McNeeley dropped a career-high 26 points, while Tarris Reed Jr. and Jaylin Stewart chipped in 12 and 10, respectively to close out a 77-71 victory.

For Gonzaga, this defeat was hard to take. They were within four points before a McNeeley floater pushed the lead back to 73-67.  Gonzaga pulled back within three points inside of the final minute, but Hassan Diarra found Karaban inside for a layup as the shot clock dwindled to put UConn ahead by five points again. The Huskies held Gonzaga without a field goal for the final 3:25 of regulation to win for the 10th straight time in New York.

The Zags have now lost consecutive games for the first time since 2018-19 and it is their third straight defeat to the Huskies. Dan Hurley’s team stormed to a 28-point win over Gonzaga in the 2023 Elite Eight in Vegas. They followed it up with a 13-point a year ago in Seattle.

Meanwhile, this victory was even sweeter for Coach Hurley, as it marked the milestone of his 300th career win.

Dan Hurley reaches 300 Wins as UConn continues to dominate

UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley just reached his 300th career victory. And what better place to do it than Madison Square Garden, the so-called “Storrs South,” where the Huskies have been dominating with an undefeated 8-0 record over the past two seasons. 

Hurley’s squad took care of business against Gonzaga, and with that, the coach earned his 300th win. His dad, Hall of Famer Bob Hurley, was there to witness the achievement, which added an extra special touch to the night. Dan grew up just across the river in Jersey City, so this win had a lot of personal significance.

What’s even more impressive is the work Hurley has done with UConn, especially considering last season’s success. After guiding the Huskies to a historic NCAA tournament run and their second straight title, the coach didn’t get the luxury of bringing back the same roster. In fact, five of last year’s top eight players moved on, but Hurley’s team has managed to stay on top, with big wins over teams like Baylor, Texas, and Gonzaga. 

Now 4-0 since their rough stretch during Maui, UConn is climbing the AP Top 25 rankings and looks poised to contend for another run at the championship. In typical Hurley fashion, though, he’s not one to rest on his laurels. Up next, the team kicks off Big East play on Wednesday, hosting Xavier in Hartford. Let’s see what’s next!