Liam McNeeley Stats Tonight: How did UConn star fare vs. Villanova (Feb. 18)

UConn forward Liam McNeeley bounced back from a horrible outing against Seton Hall by carrying the Huskies (18-8, 10-5 in Big East) to a come-from-behind 66-59 victory over the Villanova Wildcats (15-12, 8-8) on Tuesday night at the XL Center in Hartford.

McNeeley scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half to help the back-to-back defending champions come back from 14 points down and secure a crucial win that could keep them in the chase for the conference regular season title.

The 6-foot-7 five-star freshman shot 5-of-12 and made all nine attempts from the free-throw line, including eight straight in the fiery 14-1 run that turned a 58-52 deficit into a victory for the Dan Hurley-coached team.

McNeeley grabbed seven rebounds and dished off two assists in 39 minutes for UConn, who was on the verge of a second straight loss when Villanova went up 53-39 with 11:58 left. The Texas native buried a 3-pointer to cap off a 13-2 surge, reducing the deficit to 55-52 with 5:24 remaining.

After Wildcats' guard Wooga Poplar responded with a 3-pointer that put them back up by six, McNeeley and Tarris Reed Jr stepped up, scoring UConn's last 14 points to exact revenge for its initial defeat to Villanova on Jan. 8.

Here are Liam McNeeley's final stats in UConn's win over Villanova:

Player	MP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG	3-PT	FT	TO	PF
Liam McNeeley	39	20	7	2	0	0	5-12	1-5	9-9	2	2

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Huskies vs Wildcats Game Recap: UConn's defense limits Villanova to 35.2% shooting, six points in the last 12 minutes

UConn pulled off one of its best defensive stands this season, holding Villanova to six points in the last 12 minutes to come home with a crucial win that could boost its hopes for another Big East regular season title.

The Huskies defense was solid throughout, limiting the Wildcats to 35.2% shooting from the field and 16 inside points. They also won the battle in the rebounds (35-29) and blocks (7-2).

UConn's offense was also efficient, making 45.1% of its attempts and had an 89% clip from the free-throw line. They also ruled the assists department at 17-9 and had more points in the paint 38-16.

Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr supported Liam McNeeley's offensive outburst, chipping in with 13 points each. Ball also had six assists and two steals while Reed recorded nine rebounds, three assists and one block.

The victory boosted the UConn Huskies' confidence. Five days from now, they will return to the court at Madison Square Garden for a crucial Big East faceoff against No. 10 St. John's (22-4, 13-2). The Red Storm are coming off a 79-73 win over Creighton on Sunday.