McNeeley lifts No. 18 UConn past No. 8 Gonzaga 77-71
UConn forward Aidan Mahaney (23), left, dribbles the ball against Gonzaga guard Dusty Stromer (4), right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. Credit: AP/Pamela Smith
NEW YORK — Liam McNeeley scored 26 points for No. 18 UConn, which fended off a series of rallies by No. 8 Gonzaga to earn a 77-71 win in a Hall of Fame Series matchup at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
Tarris Reed Jr. scored 12 points and Jaylin Stewart added 10 for two-time defending national champion UConn (8-3) for coach Dan Hurley's 300th win.
Khalif Battle had 21 points, Ryan Nembhard finished with 16 points and Michael Ajayi added 14 points for Gonzaga (7-3), which fell to 2-6 all-time against UConn.
UConn opened the game on a 13-2 run and led 43-40 at the half. Gonzaga tied the game at 55 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Battle and Nembhard before the Huskies scored the next 10 points.
The Bulldogs got within 73-70 on an old-fashioned 3-point play by Ajayi with 3:25 left, but Nembhard missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer before Alex Karaban hit a layup as the shot clock expired with a minute left.
Takeaways
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs, who fell to then-No. 4 Kentucky 90-89 in overtime on Dec. 7, have lost two straight games for the first time since Dec. 9-15, 2018.
UConn: Samson Johnson exited with 11:09 left in the first half after he hit the floor hard while trying to block a layup by Battle.
Gonzaga forward Braden Huff (34), right, dribbles the ball against UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. (5), left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. Credit: AP/Pamela Smith
Key moment
Stewart scored five straight points out of a UConn timeout to spark the Huskies’ decisive 10-0 run.
Key stat
Gonzaga shot 35.5% in the second half, when the Bulldogs missed six layups or short point-blank jumpers.
Up next
UConn opens Big East play Wednesday by hosting Xavier in Hartford. Gonzaga also returns home Wednesday, when the Bulldogs play Nicholls State.
