Memphis stuns no. 2 UConn at Maui Invitational after late technical on Dan Hurley that blamed loss on “sh***y calls”

Although it looked like their upset bid would come up short after some heroics from Solo Ball at the end of regulation, Tyrese Hunter and Memphis picked up a huge win to kick off the Maui Invitational on Monday morning.

Hunter and the Tigers stunned no. 2 UConn 99-97 Monday at the Lahaina Civic Center in Maui to open the iconic Feast Week tournament — which returned to Maui this week for the first time since deadly wildfires broke out on the island in 2023. pushed the Tigers to a perfect 5- 0 on the season and moved them into the semifinals, where they will face either Colorado or Michigan State on Tuesday.

The Huskies, who are coming off back-to-back national championships, have now lost their first game since February 20th. It ended a 17-game winning streak.

Memphis looked to pull out the win in regulation after jumping up by 13 points late in the second half. The Tigers had all the momentum, and UConn — despite going into halftime tied 40-40 — appeared to be dead in the water. But suddenly the Huskies rattled off an 18-5 run to end the second half. Ball covered that tear with a perfect 3-pointer from the wing with just over a second remaining, sending the game into overtime.

UConn used that momentum and took the early lead in the extra period. Memphis didn’t go away, though — and the Tigers took full advantage of a mistake by UConn head coach Dan Hurley. Memphis tied the game on a 3-pointer by Colby Rogers, then Tigers guard PJ Carter hit four straight free throws just seconds later after Liam McNeelley was called for an over-the-back foul on the other end. That foul set Hurley off and gave him a technical foul that resulted in a seven-point swing.

Here was the error in question:

That was enough to keep Memphis ahead the rest of the way. Carter had all nine of his points in overtime, thanks to a 3-pointer before the technical and two free throws after, to keep the Tigers in the lead and eventually give them the win. UConn got one last look at the buzzer, but couldn’t get it to fall a second time. While Hurley’s technical foul didn’t directly cause the loss, it arguably opened the door for the Tigers at the worst possible time.

Hurley doesn’t think his technical cost the Huskies the game. Instead, he thought “those were the silly calls.”

Hunter finished with 26 points on seven 3-pointers for the Tigers in the win. PJ Haggerty added 22 points and five assists and Rogers finished with 19 points. They shot nearly 55% from both the field and behind the arc as a team.

Tarris Reed led UConn with 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in the loss. Alex Karaban finished with 19 points and McNeeley had 10 points and four rebounds. The Huskies, who entered the week as the favorite in the event, will now take on the loser of Colorado-Michigan State on Tuesday on the consolation side of the bracket.

UConn was the heavy favorite in its half of the bracket, which now paves the way for coach Penny Hardaway and the Tigers to reach the title game on Wednesday. No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 12 North Carolina are all on the other side of the bracket, though, so a championship in Hawaii before Thanksgiving won’t be easy by any means.

But regardless of what happens in the coming days, Memphis now has a marquee win under its belt. For a team that lost eight of its last 15 games and missed the NCAA Tournament last season, a win over a top-five team in the early days of the season is quite an accomplishment.