Liam McNeeley Stats Tonight: How did UConn freshman fare vs Colorado (Nov 26) 

Star freshman Liam McNeeley led the No. 2 UConn Huskies in both points and minutes, but his efforts fell short as the Colorado Buffaloes upset Dan Hurley’s team 73-72 in Tuesday's Maui Invitational matchup.

The game, played in the loser’s bracket and witnessed by 2,400 fans at Lahaina Civic Center, saw UConn initially take control with a double-digit lead in the first half. However, by halftime, Colorado closed the gap to eight and mounted a strong comeback in the second half. Liam McNeeley finished with a career-high 20 points in the loss.

Colorado targeted McNeeley early, but the freshman rose to the occasion, delivering 16 points, one rebound, one assist and one steal in the first half. However, he was limited to just four points in the second half.

McNeeley had a chance to defend against Colorado’s game-winning play but couldn’t stop Andrej Jakimovski, who sank a tough right-handed runner over him with 9.3 seconds left.

Colorado’s comeback marked a great rally after erasing a 13-point deficit. UConn, missing its top two big men Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr. who fouled out, struggled to defend in the final moments. Hassan Diarra's last-second 3-point attempt for UConn missed the mark, sealing the Huskies' defeat.

Despite the loss, McNeeley has now scored double figures in all six games of his freshman season, including his first 20-point performance.

UConn looks to regroup after consecutive losses

Dan Hurley’s UConn is encountering its first significant challenge in months. Coming to Maui with a 17-game winning streak that stretched back to February, the Huskies are reeling after back-to-back losses.

Colorado (which had been held to season lows in points (56) and field goal percentage (37%) in a loss to Michigan State on Monday) rebounded with a sharp performance against UConn, shooting 51.1% overall and an impressive 56.3% (9-of-16) from beyond the arc.

UConn struggled in several areas, including on the boards, where they were out-rebounded 28-26 — a season-low. Despite 17 assists on 25 made field goals and a +2 turnover margin leading to a 15-11 advantage in points off miscues, the Huskies couldn’t secure the win. Defensively, they recorded a 5-1 edge in blocked shots, with five players contributing a block.

This marks the first time UConn has dropped consecutive games since January 11-18, 2023. The Huskies are now 1-1 all-time against Colorado and hold a 9-5 record in Maui Invitational history.

UConn’s final game in the tournament is scheduled for Wednesday where they’ll face Dayton or Iowa State in the seventh-place matchup. Despite the strength of the field, featuring teams like Auburn, Iowa State, North Carolina and Michigan State, the Huskies entered as one of the headliners but now face the challenge of salvaging their trip.