LAHAINA, Hawaii — Andrej Jakimovski executed a tough layup while off-balance with just eight seconds remaining, leading Colorado to a nail-biting 73-72 victory over No. 2 ranked UConn at the Maui Invitational. This match marked UConn’s second consecutive defeat, following a heart-wrenching 99-97 overtime loss to Memphis the day prior, which had left head coach Dan Hurley frustrated with the officiating decisions.
UConn, now holding a record of 4-2, struggled to maintain their lead against the unranked Buffaloes, who improved to 5-1 after showcasing their shooting prowess with an impressive 62.5% accuracy in the second half. As the game drew to a close, Colorado trailed 72-71. Jakimovski made a decisive move, driving to his right while drawing contact from UConn’s Liam McNeeley, and successfully finishing with a shot off the glass just before losing his balance. UConn’s Hassan Diarra had a chance to win the game, but his 3-pointer fell short as time expired.
Elijah Malone and Julian Hammond III were significant contributors for Colorado with 16 points each, while Jakimovski recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. UConn initially led 40-32 at halftime and built a nine-point advantage early in the second half, but Colorado quickly ate into that lead. McNeeley was the top scorer for UConn, contributing 20 points.
This matchup revealed some challenges for UConn, showing that the team is facing notable adversity for the first time in a while. The Huskies had an impressive 17-game winning streak dating back to February before arriving in Maui. Meanwhile, Colorado rebounded from a disappointing performance where they registered season lows in both points (56) and field goal percentage (37%) during a loss to Michigan State the day before. Against UConn, however, they shot 51.1% overall and were particularly effective from beyond the arc, going 9 of 16 for 56.3%.
In a pivotal moment, UConn’s coach Hurley took a timeout to strategize for the final possession, but the Colorado defense forced a challenging 3-point attempt, marking a critical defensive stand for the Buffaloes. A key statistic from the game was Colorado’s slight edge in rebounding, 28-26, a significant improvement after they had been out-rebounded 42-29 in their previous game.
Looking ahead, Colorado is set to face the winner of the Iowa-Dayton game in the fifth-place contest on Wednesday, while UConn will go up against the losing team from that matchup in the seventh-place game.
