NEW YORK — A showdown at the end of Creighton’s triumph over UConn during the Big East Tournament semifinals on Friday night escalated into a brief confrontation after Jamiya Neal delivered an unnecessary dunk for the Bluejays as the game was winding down.
As the Bluejays secured a lead, Huskies guard Hassan Diarra expressed his discontent by pushing Neal in the chest, momentarily adopting a combative stance, before Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner intervened, separating the two players. The whistles echoed through Madison Square Garden as other players rushed off the benches.
“They were leading with mere seconds left, and he didn’t choose to dribble it out but instead opted for an elaborate dunk,” Diarra remarked, highlighting his perspective on the incident.
With Creighton leading 69-62, they secured a rebound of a missed UConn shot with less than ten seconds on the clock as Huskies coach Dan Hurley instructed his team to let time expire without interruption. Yet Neal chose to sprint down the left sideline for an extravagant slam with just 1.5 seconds left, further igniting tensions by swinging on the rim. Following his encounter with Diarra, Neal energized Creighton fans by waving his arms.
Officials swiftly calmed the situation, assigning double technical fouls to Diarra and Neal, while UConn reserve forward Jayden Ross faced ejection due to leaving the bench.
Reflecting on the incident, Neal stated, “The game’s emotions got the best of me. I apologize for my actions towards Coach Hurley and his team,” appreciating their competitive program.
As Neal charged for the dramatic dunk, Coaches Hurley and Greg McDermott had already begun approaching each other for the customary post-game handshakes. McDermott offered apologies to Hurley immediately following Neal’s action and once more after the game concluded. Despite the exchange of apologies between the head coaches, UConn’s assistant coach Luke Murray—son of actor Bill Murray who was present in the stands—did exchange a few terse words with McDermott.
Creighton ultimately claimed a 71-62 victory over the third-seeded Huskies, advancing to compete against sixth-ranked and top-seeded St. John’s in the championship match on Saturday night. Creighton, aiming for their first Big East title, has a history of challenges in the final, having lost in all four previous championship appearances since joining the league in the 2013-14 season. Meanwhile, UConn, the reigning two-time NCAA champion, had previously secured the Big East Tournament title last year.
