UConn Men’s Basketball Defeated by Arizona in Disappointing Home Loss

STORRS, Conn. — The No. 3 UConn men’s basketball team faced a setback on Wednesday night, losing 66-59 to the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats at Gampel Pavilion. Coach Dan Hurley expressed deep frustration during the postgame interview, describing his team’s performance as a squandered chance to defeat a top-ranked opponent.

“We got punked,” Hurley said, visibly disappointed. “It’s going to be a bad film session coming out of here. There’s a street fight going on in the paint, and you can’t just stand on the outside. We’ll see a lot of clips where guys were not in the fight with their teammates.”

Both teams entered the matchup undefeated, but UConn’s record now stands at 4-1. The absence of senior center Tarris Reed Jr., nursing a sprained ankle, was felt keenly. Reed, who was averaging 20 points and 9.3 rebounds before his injury, could not contribute. His status remains game-to-game.

During the press conference, a reporter asked about the statistics Hurley had been reviewing from the game. In response, Hurley ripped the stat sheet in half, tossing it aside with a smirk. “I’m going to wake up and think it was just a nightmare… and then realize we just blew a chance to beat one of the best teams down two studs,” he stated, lamenting the missed opportunity.

Hurley emphasized the need for his team to regroup, noting, “We got four more of these monsters in non-conference. We’ve got a game on Sunday that we need to take to court with a very high level of rage.”

UConn will host Bryant at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, while Arizona will play against the University of Denver at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday.