Dan Hurley and his Connecticut Huskies have had a rough go at the Maui Invitational so far.
Hurley's two-time defending champion and No. 2-ranked squad has dropped two games in a row on back-to-back nights in heartbreaking fashion. After losing 99-97 to Memphis in overtime on Monday where it was called for a controversial over-the-back call in the final minute, UConn was on the other side of the whistle Tuesday in the 73-72 loss to Colorado.
In the final seconds of the game, Colorado's Trevor Baskin got over Connecticut's Liam McNeeley for an offensive rebound which led to a timeout and another chance for the Buffaloes to take the lead. Baskin grabbed McNeeley's arm with his off-hand but he wasn't called for a foul and the ball stayed with Colorado.
Colorado's Andrej Jakimovski then made a layup to give his team the lead, which they hung onto after a final chance for Connecticut.
Two eerily similar plays, one which led to a foul against UConn and another that could have been a foul in their favor, but the whistle wasn't blown.
Here's both plays, one after the other:
You Make The Call: Which one was actually over the back?
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) November 26, 2024
UConn loses on the same call that made Dan Hurley lose his mind last night. pic.twitter.com/6xY8w32mYU
Hurley has fumed at the officials throughout his time on the court in Maui. He commented on the irony between the two plays after the UConn's loss.
"Yesterday, the biggest play of the game was an over-the-back that was called against us," Hurley said to reporters after UConn's game Tuesday. "And then today, it was more egregious because Baskin pulled Liam's arm down, I saw the replay of it. It's obviously ironic. But that's not why I think we lost. Our defense has been just, so dreadful."
Dan Hurley postgame:
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) November 26, 2024
"Today's (no-call) felt more egregious. The kid pulled Liam McNeeley's arm down. I saw the replay of it. It's obviously ironic. But that's not why I think we lost. Our defense has been just, so dreadful. Just so dreadful." pic.twitter.com/V3iuN5ljnK
UConn (4-2) will have another opportunity Wednesday when they play the loser of the Iowa State-Dayton game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dan Hurley Points Out 'Egregious' Missed Call Late in UConn's Second Straight Loss.
