UConn vs. Seton Hall score: Pirates upset reigning national champions in Big East opener

Seton Hall delivered one of the biggest upsets of the season by knocking off reigning national champion UConn 75-60 in a Big East opener for both teams Wednesday. The 15-point loss marked the Huskies’ worst defeat since rejoining the Big East during the 2020-21 season.

UConn (10-2, 0-1 Big East) suffered an even larger blow when star big man Donovan Clingan went down with an ankle sprain in the second half, Huskies coach Dan Hurley confirmed postgame. Clingan went straight to the locker room after the injury and didn’t return after recording 14 points and seven rebounds in limited action. This isn’t the first time Clingan has dealt with foot issues, as he missed about a month leading up to the season with a foot strain. 

“Not sure what his status is,” Hurley said when asked about Clingan’s status going forward.

Kadary Richmond scored a game-high 23 points for Seton Hall (8-4, 1-0) in one of the biggest wins of the Shaheen Holloway era. UConn’s last two losses against an unranked opponent have been at the hands of Seton Hall. Seton Hall defeated UConn earlier this year on Jan. 18 before the Huskies won 16 of their final 19 games en route to a national championship. 

Prior to this loss, UConn had looked again like a dominant force in the college basketball world. All 10 of the Huskies wins had come by double-digits this season and their resume included wins over Gonzaga, North Carolina and Texas. UConn holds a 14-9 record in conference play the last two seasons and a 27-1 record against all other opponents in the same span.

The Huskies continue Big East play by facing Rick Pitino and St. John’s next on Saturday, while Seton Hall looks to build off this win against Xavier on the same day.