UConn’s Garden return sparks cathartic atmosphere in non-conference finale

Madison Square Garden attracted near-capacity crowd as partisan UConn fans made pilgrimage to Manhattan to watch Huskies defeat Gonzaga. (Photo by Position Sports)

By Sam Federman (@Sam_Federman)

NEW YORK — Before walking up the escalator to the sixth-floor concourse at Madison Square Garden, UConn fans had already started the festivities.

If UConn basketball is a religion, and in Connecticut, it is, then its high holidays are the days in which the Huskies travel to the Garden. The journey on Metro North’s New Haven line from the Nutmeg State to midtown Manhattan is the hajj, ending at the Mecca on 33rd and 8th.

By the time the thousands of Husky diehards poured into the arena, they’d already been riled up for hours. Surrounded by UConn fans on trains, at bars, and throughout the afternoon, they made it a special atmosphere in a special place. You could tell immediately, as ginormous cheers awaited the UConn team entering the floor while boos rained down on Gonzaga.

After three losses in Maui, No. 18 UConn (8-3) capped off its non-conference slate with four wins in a row, including three big ones against Baylor, Texas, and now, the Zags. On Saturday night, the two-time reigning champions returned to what their fans call Storrs South and gave the team the boost it needed to take home a 77-71 win over No. 8 Gonzaga (7-3).

“This isn’t the first time that UConn Nation really helped us give energy (at MSG),” Alex Karaban said. “(They do it for) the Big East Tournament and these types of games too. They’re always there for us.”

Within the first moments, the Huskies matched the crowd’s energy. Samson Johnson won the opening jump, and UConn dialed up a set to get the big man an alley-oop dunk immediately. Gonzaga responded with a basket, but the Huskies punched a flurry, including another Johnson slam, a three-pointer by Liam McNeeley that bounced off the back of the rim before dropping, and finally, a two-hand flush by Solo Ball that forced Mark Few to call timeout at 11-2.

The building went feral. The feeling of catharsis was ever-present, as any of the lingering negative energy that built up around the fanbase during the trip to Maui was released in that moment. UConn fans could feel that everything was going to be okay, and they roared with approval. And they didn’t stop roaring all night.

“We felt the backlash, everybody just kind of gave up on us after what we did in Maui,” Karaban said. “The only response we had to do is prove to everyone the type of team that we are, and we definitely got that these three games.”

Gonzaga didn’t shy away from the challenge, even as it may have been startled by the energy of the first few minutes. Shotmaking from Khalif Battle and a settled-down Ryan Nembhard helped the Zags claw back, even taking the lead on two occasions in the first half.

But both times Gonzaga took the lead, UConn responded by pushing out to seven and five-point leads, igniting a crowd that didn’t need to be ignited.

“It was like a prize fight,” Zags coach Mark Few said. “There was energy, you could feel it. I think the guys could feel it. (UConn) definitely had a home court advantage here.”

He also shouted out the Zag fans who made the trip, and while outnumbered, tried everything they could to match the energy that the Husky fans brought. However, there was nothing stopping this UConn crowd from seeing a victory on Saturday night.

McNeeley, a freshman from Texas making his MSG debut, had just about everything going his way. He scored 13 points in the first half. When Gonzaga sent more defensive attention his way, it didn’t phase him. On a night where Karaban couldn’t hit water falling off a boat, and Ball also struggled to get his threes to fall, McNeeley rose to the occasion, with 26 points and eight rebounds.

After Gonzaga hit two threes to tie the game at 55 midway through the second half, UConn exploded with four quick baskets, capped off by a McNeeley three, forcing Few to call timeout. The freshman motioned for the already deafening crowd to get even louder.

“That shot fired me up,” McNeeley said. “So I just wanted the crowd to feel my excitement.”

Holding onto a four-point lead with just over three minutes left, McNeeley drove the lane and flipped the ball toward the backboard as he lost control of his body. Somehow, it kissed off the glass and through the net.

“That was Madison Square Garden right there,” he said. “The aura this place has, the aura the crowd brought.”