Hurley expressed his frustration with what he called 'dreadful' defensive effort and execution from the start of the game. 'Our defense has been so bad. We've been playing with fire,' said the coach, noting that Creighton's 45 first-half points put UConn in immediate trouble.
Mullins, who hit a 3-pointer to tie the game before halftime, missed part of the second half with an injury but still led UConn with 25 points. Silas Demary Jr. added 17 points and Tarris Reed Jr. had 15. The Huskies face a challenging schedule ahead with games against No. 2 Villanova on Saturday and No. 3 St. John's next Wednesday.