LAHAINA, Hawaii — Monday saw one of the best Maui Invitational games in the 40-plus-year history of the event.
Unranked Memphis beat No. 2 UConn 99-97 in overtime after an absurd 18-5 UConn comeback in the final three minutes of regulation that included Memphis going the final four minutes of regulation without making a field goal.
In overtime, the Tigers edged it out — the difference being a technical foul on Huskies coach Dan Hurley after a controversial over-the-back foul called on Liam McNeeley that gave the Tigers four points on PJ Carter free throws with 40 seconds remaining that turned a 92-all game into a 96-92 Memphis lead.
UConn scrambled and got close but couldn’t close out. Hassan Diarra missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Hurley, who was exceedingly intense in his haranguing of the officials just minutes into Monday morning’s game (the Huskies committed seven team fouls in the first 5 minutes and 21 seconds), continued to aggressively express his protests and disgust as the teams made their way off the floor, after the postgame handshake. The overtime session was an opera of swings; prior to Hurley’s technical, there was a near-scuffle on the floor between Memphis’ Dain Dainja and UConn’s Samson Johnson. Both were assessed dead-ball technical fouls, which fouled out Johnson. That was a big problem for UConn because it no longer had Tarris Reed Jr. available; he’d previously fouled out in regulation after the best game of his career (22 points, 11 rebounds).
On the ensuing possession, Solo Ball hit a top-of-the-key 3-pointer to make it 90-86 in favor of UConn. In that moment, the game seemed set for the Huskies, until Carter promptly answered with a return trey and the Tigers swung the momentum.
Earlier, it was Ball who hit a clutch 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds in regulation to tie the game at 92.
It was a firecracker of a game, and the latest example of why this Thanksgiving week tournament is among the most reliable events in sports. The Maui Invitational isn’t just reliably entertaining for big-name programs and great games — it also is prone to provide the occasional stunning upset.
For the first time since February, Hurley’s UConn Huskies have been defeated. An intriguing Memphis squad — which loaded up in the offseason with portal additions who can shoot it aplenty from deep — essentially controlled the game from the opening minute.
The best player on the floor: Memphis’ Tyrese Hunter. The senior had one of the best games of his career, erupting for 26 points on 7-of-10 3-point shooting. As a team, Memphis shot 12 for 22 from deep. The Tigers’ physicality and bravado gave them the edge on Monday, but their 3-point shooting was the reason they were in position to win and held the lead most of the morning.
After losing four starters and multiple NBA players from its 2023-24 national championship team, Connecticut was understandably given the benefit of the doubt after a roster reloading. It had the ranking, reputation and the prestige, but it didn’t have the early season résumé to indicate how good it was after losing four starters from last season’s championship team. In Memphis, the first true test — by a long shot. UConn entered Monday with a 4-0 record and having destroyed opponents, beating low-major fodder by an average of 37.8 points — the best margin of victory in the country. But UConn’s also played the easiest schedule, ranking 363 out of 364 at KenPom.com.
That pillow-soft first three weeks meant a shock to the system awaited here in Maui for a Huskies program that was 47-3 in its previous 50 games.
Then again, the majority of those 47 wins came with players no longer in the program. So, the Huskies’ 17-game overall winning streak is over but also a 17-game winning streak on neutral floors is done as well with that loss coming in the 2023 Big East Tournament to Marquette.
Memphis won its second game in the past 14 tries against a team ranked in the top two. And this win gives the Tigers’ program a 5-0 for a second straight season, marking the first time the Tigers have done that since they were Memphis State in 1985.
This story will be updated soon.
