In a thrilling Big East showdown, Creighton pulled off an impressive 91-84 victory over No. 5 UConn, dampening the celebration of former Huskies star Emeka Okafor’s jersey retirement. The Bluejays, now 14-13 overall and 8-8 in conference play, handed UConn its first home conference loss this season.
Josh Dix was pivotal, scoring 13 of his 21 points in the second half, while Nik Graves contributed 18 points to fuel Creighton's offense. Coach Greg McDermott achieved a notable milestone, becoming the first to defeat a Dan Hurley-coached team four times on the road.
The night was meant to honor Okafor, the third UConn player to have his number retired, joining legends Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton. The ceremony celebrated Okafor's legacy as a 2004 NCAA champion and national player of the year.
UConn started strong, leading by seven early in the second half, but struggled with a 34% shooting performance in the latter period. Braylon Mullins was a standout for the Huskies, scoring 25 points, while Silas Demary Jr. added 17 points and nine assists. Tarris Reed Jr. chipped in with a double-double, tallying 15 points and 11 rebounds, though his second-half contribution was limited to just two points.
Fedor Zugic added 14 points for Creighton, which capitalized on free throws, outscoring UConn 27-11 from the line. Mullins kept the Huskies in contention with a buzzer-beater three-pointer to tie the game at halftime.
However, after hitting consecutive threes to push UConn ahead 63-59, the Huskies faltered, missing 10 of their next 11 shots. This slump allowed Creighton to seize control with a decisive 14-2 run.
Looking ahead, Creighton gears up to face No. 17 St. John’s on Saturday, while UConn will travel to Villanova, aiming to bounce back from this setback.