"Absolute stud","Our lord our savior": Fans go wild for Liam McNeeley's "sickest" masterclass as Dan Hurley's UConn faces Creighton

Liam McNeeley and the UConn Huskies returned to winning ways on Tuesday night, beating the 24th-ranked Creighton Bluejays 70-66 at CHI Health Center Omaha. McNeeley was one of three players to score in double figures for the Huskies, who recorded their first win in Omaha since rejoining the Big East Conference in 2020.

McNeeley wreaked havoc against the Creighton defense, scoring a season-high 38 points. He shot 12-for-22 from the field, including 5-for-10 from beyond the arc. He also made a living at the charity stripe, knocking down nine of his 10 free-throw attempts.

McNeeley also grabbed 10 rebounds to record his fourth double-double of the season. He previously achieved that feat in the games against Sacred Heart, New Hampshire and St. John's. College hoops fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the UConn star's performance.

"The sickest," one fan shared.

"OUR LORD AND SAVIOR SIR LIAM MCNEELEY," one fan wrote.

"Absolute stud," one fan tweeted.

Here are some other reactions.

"Demon," one fan posted.

"One of the most electric stints of basketball this season," one fan replied.

"A dawg," one fan commented.

Liam McNeeley did most of his damage after halftime, scoring 23 of his 38 points during that period. The freshman forward's second-half explosion helped the Huskies avoid losing back-to-back outings for the first time since November, when they lost three games in a row at the Maui Invitational.

It was a huge bounce-back win for the UConn Huskies, who dropped out of the latest Associated Press Top 25 rankings following their 68-62 loss to the St. John's Red Storm on Friday.

Liam McNeeley gets offensive help from Solo Ball and Alex Karaban in win over Creighton

It wasn't just Liam McNeeley who punished Creighton's defense on the road as two other UConn players scored in double figures for Dan Hurley. Solo Ball scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists in 38 minutes of action.

UConn Huskies forward Liam McNeeley (30) reacts after making a three-point basket against the Creighton Bluejays during the second half at CHI Health Center Omaha. Photo: Imagn

Alex Karaban added 10 points for the Huskies, who improved to 9-4 in conference play. His biggest basket of the night came with 1:44 remaining, breaking a 65-all tie with a floater inside the shaded area.

Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth scored 13 points apiece for the Bluejays, who had their nine-game winning streak snapped.