UConn men’s basketball was upset by Marquette on Saturday, March 7, but not before coach Dan Hurley was ejected with less than a second left on the clock and later fined $25,000 by the conference for his actions.
Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. attempted a game-tying layup with less than five seconds remaining, but the ball clanked off the backboard and the rim before missing. There was a brief scramble for the rebound, before Marquette ultimately secured the ball and the 68-62 win.
As No. 4 UConn was fouling the Marquette rebounder, Hurley was arguing with a referee on the court and was shown on the broadcast throwing his arms in protest of an apparent call. He received a double-technical foul and was ejected for arguing in the aftermath. The Big East said it couldn’t confirm if Hurley made contact with the referee from video evidence.
Demary Jr. faced some contact from Marquette center Ben Gold on the field goal attempt, but ultimately no call was made.
“We hold our coaches to high standards of sportsmanlike conduct during game competition, and inappropriate interactions with our officials will not be tolerated,” Big East commissioner Val Ackerman said in an announcement.
It’s a tough loss for Hurley and the Huskies, as the loss resulted in St. John’s taking the outright Big East regular season championship. UConn will now be the No. 2 seed in the Big East tournament, and the loss could be a huge blow to its chances at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
It was Marquette’s first win against a ranked opponent this season, as the Golden Eagles have had a down year in 2025-26. Nigel James Jr.’s 19 points and seven assists led Marquette to its 12th win of the season.
UConn now shifts its focus to the Big East tournament, and its loss to Marquette — and Hurley’s ejection, for that matter — could be a wake-up call heading into March Madness.
This story has been updated.
