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Rapid Recap: UConn clamps down Creighton

Rapid Recap: UConn clamps down Creighton

The Huskies dominated defensively to beat a ranked Big East contender by double-digits.

Aman Kidwai
January 17, 2024

In a surprise turn of events, Donovan Clingan joined the Huskies for pre-game warm-ups and came in off the bench as they comfortably defeated No. 18 Creighton at Gampel Pavilion. The big man’s return clearly gave them a big boost as they had their best defensive game of the season, holding the Bluejays to a 6-of-26 performance from three in a 62-48 win.

Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer led the way in the first half, while Alex Karaban stepped up to put the game away in the second, but the story of the game was Clingan’s return and immediate impact.

In just five minutes of play in the first half, Clingan’s ± of +11 showed how important he is to this team. He finished with six points and five rebounds and a ± of +9 in 16 minutes of action. He hadn’t played since December 20th at Seton Hall.

The Huskies’ shots weren’t falling at a high rate, both teams finished 35 percent from the field and UConn was a modest 5-of-19 (26%) from three. But they dominated the rebounding battle, 48-32, only allowing five second-chance points to Creighton all game. They also did a good job of keeping turnovers down, with seven compared to the Bluejays’ 14. Their turnover rate and rebounding percentages are among their best of the season.

The victory pushes the Huskies’ record to 16-2 (6-1 Big East) and tied for the league lead with Seton Hall. Next up, Dan Hurley’s squad travels to Philadelphia to take on the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center. Tip-off will be at 8 p.m. on FS1 (moved from FOX due to NFL Playoffs).