No. 25 UConn Looks to Bounce Back Against DePaul

No. 25 UConn will aim to rebound from a tough loss as it hosts DePaul in Hartford, Conn., on Wednesday night for their second and final meeting of the season.

UConn Strives for Consistency

The Huskies (14-6, 6-3) have experienced frustration in recent Big East games, with all three of their conference losses coming within the past five matchups. Their most recent defeat was a 76-72 loss at Xavier on Saturday.

“It’s been a very frustrating season because that game has played out a lot,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said, referencing the Xavier loss.

Defensive breakdowns and turnovers have plagued the Huskies, who erased two 10-point deficits to lead at halftime but fell short late in the game. Solo Ball led the way with his first career double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Ball has been a consistent performer this season, scoring in double figures in 18 of UConn’s 20 games after doing so just three times last year.

UConn has also been without freshman Liam McNeeley for the past six games due to a high ankle sprain. McNeeley was the team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder before his injury, and Hurley acknowledged the ripple effect on the team’s performance.

“If we could get Liam back and some consistency from Aidan (Mahaney), we could be a much different-looking team,” Hurley said. “You’ve got to win enough games so you’re not demoralized when you get healthier.”

Mahaney, a transfer from Saint Mary’s (Calif.), contributed 14 points off the bench against Xavier, showing flashes of the offensive talent UConn needs moving forward.

DePaul Seeks Improvement

The Blue Demons (10-11, 1-9) will stay on the road after an 86-69 loss at Butler on Saturday. It marked their second consecutive defeat since a Jan. 17 win at Georgetown.

First-year DePaul coach Chris Holtmann noted that the team improved offensively against Butler, shooting 50.9 percent from the field and committing a season-low six turnovers. However, the challenge remains finding balance on both ends of the court.

“We still didn’t shoot it like we have, but we were really good offensively,” Holtmann said. “The deal was we just really struggled guarding them. We’ve got to be able to do it on both ends.”

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NJ Benson led DePaul with 20 points and nine rebounds against Butler, marking his third time as the team’s leading scorer this season. The former Missouri State transfer has been a bright spot for the Blue Demons, averaging 11.8 points and 9.3 rebounds as a starter.

“NJ is growing right in front of our eyes,” Holtmann said. “He’s getting better. He just needed to be better defensively last game.”

Previous Matchup

When the teams met on New Year’s Day, UConn secured an 81-68 victory in Chicago. Solo Ball shined with a career-high 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting from 3-point range, while Benson recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds for DePaul.