CINCINNATI — In a thrilling matchup on Saturday night, Dailyn Swain and Zach Freemantle each contributed 15 points, leading Xavier to a 76-72 victory over No. 19 UConn.
The win marked a significant turnaround for the Musketeers (13-8, 5-5 Big East), who had previously fallen to the Huskies four consecutive times. This victory serves as their second against a ranked conference team, following their impressive win over then-No. 7 Marquette just one week earlier.

For UConn (14-6, 6-3), Solo Ball shone with a game-high 20 points, while teammate Aidan Mahaney added 14 points to the effort.
As they trailed 74-72 with just 21.7 seconds on the clock, the Huskies struggled to maintain possession, leading to a shot clock violation. Xavier’s Marcus Foster was then fouled, successfully converting both free throw attempts to ensure the win for his team.

Despite an ankle injury that caused Swain to miss part of the previous game against St. John’s, he made a notable return to energize the Musketeers, a squad that featured five players scoring in double digits.
The game was marked by an exhilarating first half during which Xavier held a lead as large as 10 points, but the Huskies made a comeback, scoring 23 points in the last seven minutes to finish the half ahead 41-40.

Looking at the game’s highlights, it’s worth noting that UConn was without freshman Liam McNeeley, their third-highest scorer, due to a high ankle sprain. Additionally, the team faced further challenges when Alex Karaban fouled out with 3:27 remaining in the game.
For Xavier, however, there was a pressing need for greater output from their bench players. Saturday’s game saw the bench score 26 points, attributed solely to Dante Maddox Jr. and Jerome Hunter.

A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Xavier held a narrow five-point lead, yet Ball was fouled by Foster while attempting a three-pointer. He calmly sank all three free throws, closing the gap to just 74-72 with 1:29 left on the clock.

An interesting statistic from the game revealed that, over their first 20 games, Xavier had 13% of its shots blocked, positioning them among the bottom tier nationally. UConn, showcasing their defensive strength, managed to record seven blocks during the contest.

Looking ahead, UConn will host DePaul on Wednesday, while Xavier is set to face Creighton on the same day.