Dan Hurley wishes more Creighton fans were around to hear him clap back about his ‘two rings’ after UConn win

UConn coach Dan Hurley hit jeering Creighton fans with a reminder of his recent accomplishments on Tuesday night after the Huskies closed out a 70-66 road win over the No. 24 Bluejays. While exiting the floor a the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, Hurley offered an enthusiastic wave toward the stands before gesturing toward his fingers and bragging about the “two rings” UConn has earned by winning back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.

The giddy reaction to a hard-fought Big East road win came after the Huskies (17-7, 9-4 Big East) erased a 14-point deficit to end Creighton’s nine-game winning streak. It was UConn’s first victory in five tries on Creighton’s home floor since the two became Big East foes in 2020-21.

“I’m not going to lie to you, that was very gratifying,” Hurley said. “I waved at some people, but I just wished that there was more of them still left. There’s been a lot more left when I’ve lost.”

A crowd of 18,025 was on hand for the showdown and saw Creighton (18-7, 11-3) dominate the first half before the two-time reigning national champions found their gear behind a 38-point outburst from Liam McNeeley. The freshman phenom sealed the outcome and quieted the Creighton crowd for good with a pair of free throws that put UConn ahead by four with four seconds left.

“I’ve obviously had to walk off unceremoniously, just crushed by the crowd, cursed at,” Hurley said. “As long as they’re not leaning over the rail and getting in my face, I think it’s what makes college basketball so much better than any other type of basketball. The home fans here didn’t get the win that they wanted, but they got a show. They got an intense game with so much passion and a life or death struggle.”