No. 2 UConn Upset by No. 22 Xavier 83-73

Connecticut is unbeaten no more.

The second-ranked Huskies suffered their first defeat of the 2022-23 men's college basketball season Saturday, losing 83-73 to No. 22 Xavier at Cintas Center in Cincinnati.

Zach Freemantle led the way for the Musketeers with a double-double (16 points and 11 rebounds), while Jack Nunge and Colby Jones dropped 15 and 16 points, respectively. Jerome Hunter came off the bench to score 15 as well, including a 9-of-9 effort from the charity stripe.

UConn led 42-41 at halftime but found itself having to play from behind for much of the second half. Andre Jackson Jr. tied the game at 71-71 with 4:10 remaining, and a steal by Jordan Hawkins gave the Huskies a chance to go ahead.

However, an offensive foul on Hawkins immediately ceded possession back to Xavier, and the Musketeers capitalized with a layup by Jones. They didn't look back from there as their defense suffocated UConn.

The Huskies went 11-of-31 from the field and 5-of-18 from beyond the arc in the second half.

Jackson had a season-high 14 points and flirted with a triple-double, totaling 10 rebounds and eight assists. The junior guard struggled to find his shot, though, missing eight of his 12 three-point attempts.

Xavier also outscored UConn 40-28 in the paint despite Huskies star Adama Sanogo pouring in a game-high 18 points.

It's too early to call this a season-defining victory for the Musketeers, but it's a sign of the progress the program has already made in head coach Sean Miller's first season back. A statement win was inevitable.

Xavier and Connecticut will meet again on Jan. 25 in Storrs. That was already looking like a juicy matchup with the Musketeers positioning themselves as perhaps the stiffest competition to the Huskies for the Big East regular-season title.

Following Saturday, the stakes for that contest have only increased.