No. 4 UConn’s poor shooting fuels 68-62 upset loss at Marquette

After an excellent 2025-2026 campaign, the regular season ended for the No. 4 UConn men’s basketball team this Saturday. The Huskies dominated a loaded out-of-conference schedule and took care of business within the Big East, locking up a No. 2 seed in the Big East tournament and, likely, the NCAA Tournament. However, Connecticut couldn’t get the job done, with arguably their worst shooting all season. Marquette upset the Huskies 68-62.

Connecticut started hot, with a clear focus on attacking the rim and setting up Tarris Reed Jr. with good looks in the paint. This was all set up by great guard play from the Huskies, and Reed feasted, scoring 10 points. The Michigan transfer also did an excellent job rebounding, coming away with six boards. However, the Golden Eagles quickly adjusted, putting UConn in a tough spot early on.

After gaining an initial lead, UConn was scoreless for a significant period in the first half, allowing Marquette to stay within striking distance. While Braylon Mullins had six first-half points, he failed to make a shot from downtown, though he was hardly unique in this regard; Connecticut finished 1-10 from three. This was a half that had the makings for UConn to run away. UConn outrebounded the Golden Eagles by a healthy 23-9 margin. However, they failed to pull away, and Marquette had scorers to keep them competitive.

Nigel James Jr. played a significant role in keeping his side competitive, scoring 12 points on 5-8 shooting, including a buzzer-beating jumper that was nearly a triple. Adrien Stevens put up 10 points of his own in the first half. However, the Huskies stayed competitive, and Silas Demary Jr. did a good job keeping UConn afloat down the stretch, scoring 10 points of his own.

Poor shooting and some undisciplined fouling made the first half on Saturday much closer than many predicted. UConn went into the locker room with a narrow 35-33 lead.

UConn finished the half 14-36 (38.9%) from the field while Marquette shot 12-22 (54.5%). This shooting margin told the story of the first half, and if UConn wanted to head into the Big East Tournament with confidence, this margin needed to improve.

The Huskies needed to come out of the locker room with a fire lit under them and take control of the contest. However, UConn limped out of the gates in the second half.

Yet again, it felt as though there was a lid on the rim for the Huskies. No matter how many shots UConn put up, it felt like nothing was falling. To make matters worse for Connecticut, Marquette shut down Reed from scoring in the paint; suddenly, the Huskies were on upset watch in the final game of the season.

“I’ve got to do a better job of getting open, presenting a bigger target, making it easier for the guards to pass in,” Reed told the media.

Turnovers were quickly becoming an issue for the Huskies, who turned the ball over five times in the first eight minutes; this was the catalyst for a devastating 11-0 run by the Golden Eagles.

James kept up his scoring prowess from the first half, putting up seven points, albeit on inefficient 2-11 shooting. Royce Parham also had a second half to remember, scoring nine points on 3-4 shooting. As well as everyone on the program played, it was Chase Ross who had a second half to remember on senior night. The guard put up nine second-half points, including a pair of devastating threes, helping to extend Marquette’s lead to as much as 12 with just five and a half minutes to go.

The Huskies did everything they could to claw their way back into the contest, bringing it within one possession. However, finishing 7-23 (30.4%) from the field was never going to get the job done. Despite the shooting woes, UConn was never able to find Reed in good spots down low for easy buckets, which would open the floor for Connecticut’s shooters. Alex Karaban failed to record any points in the second half, and Mullins finished with three points on 1-5 shooting.

All in all, the Huskies played a flat offensive game for 40 straight minutes and trailed for nearly the entire contest. It was miraculous that the Huskies were able to bring the contest to within two points with nearly no time left. Marquette held on, following a Dan Hurley ejection, for a 68-62 upset win.

This loss for Connecticut could not have come at a worse time. The Huskies had so much momentum after an excellent campaign with few blemishes. This loss exposed real holes in the program that need to be fixed if Connecticut wants any chance at a tournament run. However, it is March, and with the Big East tournament a stone’s throw away, UConn needs to put this loss behind them and play their brand of basketball.

“Today was a great example of our floor as a team,” Reed told the media. “What we did today was unacceptable; we had a championship on the line, and we came up short… We’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror and do better, and that starts with me.”

UConn will return to action this Thursday night for a Big East tournament quarterfinals matchup against either Providence or Xavier.

“From here on out, it’s one and done, win or go home,” Demary said. “Now it’s like, do we want to keep playing and practicing together, or do we want to lay down and let the season be over? I don’t think we’re going to do that. I think we’re going to go back to the drawing board, figure out what we need to fix so we can make those runs.”