Memphis Tigers forward Tyreek Smith (5) tries to dribble past Connecticut Huskies guard Aidan Mahaney (20) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Lahaina Civic Center. Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

UConn MBB suffers surprising first loss of the season

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Nov 25, 2024 5:17 PM ET

UConn dropped its first game since February on Monday, losing to Memphis in the quarterfinals of the Maui Invitational.

The Huskies, winners of the past two national championships, had won 17 games in a row dating back to a February 20, 2024, loss to Creighton.

The Tigers shot 54.7 percent in the 99-97 win, one of their biggest in seven seasons under head coach Penny Hardaway.

Senior guard Tyrese Hunter scored 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc, as Memphis pulled off the 8.5-point upset.

Memphis had a chance to win in regulation, but UConn sophomore guard Solo Ball hit a three with one second left in the second half to send the game to overtime.

Solo. Ball. pic.twitter.com/ujgqsZ2nCS
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) November 25, 2024

UConn began last season 7-0 before its first loss on December 1, 2023, at Kansas, 69-65.

It went 30-2 the rest of the 2023-24 season, ending with a win over Purdue in the national final.

Monday's loss shouldn't be much cause for concern for the Huskies. While they certainly must improve on the defensive end, head coach Dan Hurley's track record suggests UConn will be just fine.

The win might say more about Memphis, which missed last year's NCAA Tournament after being bounced from the first round of the AAC tourney by Wichita State.

Per ESPN, Memphis has won five in a row against AP-ranked teams.

THE TIGERS HAVE DONE IT

Memphis defeats No. 2 UConn, winning its FIFTH straight game against an AP-ranked opponent dating back to the beginning of last season‼️ pic.twitter.com/OwyZnn9dIF
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 25, 2024

The win over UConn was the Tigers' first regular-season win against a top-10 opponent since February 2022, when they beat then-AP No. 6 Houston, 69-59.

Per KenPom, Memphis entered Monday's game ranked 33rd in the country (out of 364 college basketball teams), while UConn ranked sixth.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

More must-reads: