"Jarring for the program": Dan Hurley doubles down on Hawaii criticism but lauds UConn for bounce back in aftermath
Dan Hurley and the No. 25 UConn Huskies have regained their mojo following their embarrassing performance at the Maui Invitational, winning their last three games by an average of 23.0 points. That doesn't mean Hurley has forgotten about their unfortunate road trip to Hawaii.
The Huskies entered the three-day, multi-team event with an unbeaten record and left the tournament with three consecutive losses to finish in eighth place. They suffered one-possession losses to the Memphis Tigers and Colorado Buffaloes before concluding their campaign with an 18-point loss to the Dayton Flyers.
Adding to Hurley's frustration was his view of the referees' performances, with the UConn coach blaming officiating mistakes in the Huskies' first two defeats in Hawaii. Hurley talked to ESPN reporter Kris Budden about the Huskies' winless run in Hawaii and how they bounced back from such a brutal stretch.
“Everything that happened on the Hawaii trip was jarring for the program, but the response since we’ve returned to the mainland speaks to the culture and the championship DNA,” Hurley said.
Dan Hurley's UConn back on track after Maui nightmare
All is right with UConn (7-3) once again, with the Huskies stringing together three consecutive wins since returning to the U.S. mainland.
They used a balanced offensive attack to crush the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks, with six different players scoring in double figures on Nov. 30. Liam McNeeley and Jaylin Stewart starred for the Huskies, each dropping 16 points in the 99-45 win. Solo Ball and Aidan Mahaney also contributed, scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively. Jayden Ross and Tarris Reed Jr. provided the firepower off the bench with 10 points apiece.
UConn followed that performance with a 76-72 victory over the No. 15 Baylor Bears on Wednesday night. The Huskies battled back from an early 11-point deficit to preserve their unbeaten record at home. McNeeley scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Samson Johnson added 13 points and four boards for the Huskies.
UConn extended its winning streak to three games with a 76-65 victory over the Texas Longhorns on Sunday. Alex Karaban made a triumphant return after suffering a concussion against Dayton, recording 21 points and 11 rebounds.