The UConn Huskies looked anything but composed in the final minute of their horrible overtime loss to the Seton Hall Pirates on Saturday.
Seton Hall forced overtime with a three-pointer with 3.9 seconds to go in regulation, but UConn looked like it was going to overcome its issues and avoid an embarrassing upset after taking a 68-63 lead with one minute left in overtime. What followed was a truly epic meltdown.
After a pair of Seton Hall free throws brought them to within 68-65, UConn threw away the inbounds pass in the face of the Pirates’ full-court press. Seton Hall failed to take advantage, but it was a sign of things to come.
With 14 seconds left, UConn’s Liam McNeeley was stripped of the ball while going to the basket, and Seton Hall made two free throws to make it 68-67. On the ensuing inbound, UConn’s Solo Ball turned it over under heavy pressure, allowing Seton Hall’s Scotty Middleton to score the game-winning basket off his own miss.
In the final 60 seconds of overtime, UConn turned the ball over three times without scoring. They also failed to collect a rebound off Middleton’s initial miss, allowing the Seton Hall forward a second chance for the game-winning score.
The situation was even more unlikely considering who was in it. The Huskies are the two-time reigning national champions, though they have lost many key pieces from those teams. In contrast, Seton Hall entered play Saturday 6-18 overall with a 1-12 record in Big East play. They had lost nine in a row before Saturday, with six of those defeats by a double-digit margin.
UConn coach Dan Hurley is a controversial figure because of his animated sideline antics and defiant stance toward critics. A lot of those critics will enjoy seeing his team melt down like this, as it raises real questions about their composure with the NCAA Tournament looming.
