STORRS, Conn. — UConn held a moment of silence for the late mother of Creighton’s Josh Dix before Wednesday’s Big East game. The night ended with the Bluejays star getting hugs and words of encouragement from fans who made the trip from Nebraska to Storrs.
Dix scored 21 points to lead Creighton to a 91-84 win over No. 5 UConn, the Huskies’ first conference home loss of the season, two weeks after his mother died from colon cancer.
“I really respect this university for doing that and thinking of my mom,” Dix said. “I know she would greatly appreciate it. I know she saw that.”
In the four games since his mother’s death, Dix is averaging 16 points, five rebounds and two assists. Creighton lost two of those games. The Bluejays lost to the Huskies by 27 points in the game before Dix’s mother died, and faced another uphill battle Wednesday, with Creighton closing as a 15.5-point underdog.
“That locker room is still healing, and they needed a shot in the arm,” said Creighton coach Greg McDermott, who thanked UConn for also reaching out after hearing the news about Dix’s mother. “We have been through a lot as a group; we’ve shed a lot of tears, and they needed something like this. It’s a great win for us. I’m not sure I’ve ever been prouder of a group.”
Dix, a transfer from Iowa who leads Creighton in scoring has leaned on many people, including teammates, during this trying time.
“I couldn’t do it alone,” Dix said. “My family, my teammates, my coaches, they all stick by my side. I try not to be alone; I try to be around people who want to see you do well.
“Basketball brings a lot of joy to a lot of people, so that kind of takes your mind of a lot of stuff. They have meant a lot, something like this can either separate you or get you closer to your teammates. They have all been by my side. The last couple of weeks haven’t been easy, but they stuck by my side.”
UConn coach Dan Hurley sent his best to the Creighton team.
“They have dealt with some emotional pain, not just with Josh, but with Blake [Harper], whose mother died of breast cancer in 2023,” Hurley said. “I have so much respect for Mac, for Creighton, for their program.”
UConn retired the number of former Huskies star Emeka Okafor in a ceremony Wednesday night. The 2004 NCAA champion and National Player of the Year was honored at halftime, becoming the third UConn men’s basketball player to have his number retired after Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source link
