No. 18 UConn Holds Off No. 8 Gonzaga, 77-71

Saturday, December 14

New York City, N.Y.

5 p.m.

Gonzaga University

7-3,0-0WCC

#18/20 UConn

8-3,0-0Big East

Team	1	2	F
Gonzaga	40	31	71
UConn	43	34	77

Box Score (pdf)

NCAA Basketball: Hall of Fame Series- New York City-Gonzaga at Connecticut

Photo by: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

12/14/2024 8:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

Battle leads Zags with 21 points; Nembhard adds 16 and 7 assists

NEW YORK CITY – Liam McNeeley scored 26 points for No. 18 UConn, which fended off a series of rallies by No. 8 Gonzaga to earn a 77-71 win in a Hall of Fame Series matchup at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

Tarris Reed Jr. scored 12 points and Jaylin Stewart added 10 for two-time defending national champion UConn (8-3) for coach Dan Hurley's 300th win.

Khalif Battle had 21 points, Ryan Nembhard finished with 16 points and Michael Ajayi added 14 points for Gonzaga (7-3).

UConn opened the game on a 13-2 run and led 43-40 at the half. Gonzaga tied the game at 55 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Battle and Nembhard before the Huskies scored the next 10 points.

The Bulldogs got within 73-70 on an old-fashioned 3-point play by Ajayi with 3:25 left, before Alex Karaban hit a layup as the shot clock expired with a minute left.

Up next
UConn opens Big East play Wednesday by hosting Xavier in Hartford. Gonzaga also returns home Wednesday, when the Bulldogs play Nicholls State.