On Friday, a brief heated altercation ensued between UConn’s Hassan Diarra and Creighton’s Jamiya Neal just seven seconds to the end of the Big East Tournament Semifinals game between Creighton and UConn at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York – a game that ended in a score of 71-62 in favor of Creighton.
With the scoreboard showing 69-62 in favor of the Bluejays and no hope of redemption for the Huskies, instead of dribbling the ball down the clock without attempting to score, Neal chose to do a double-pump celebratory dunk. As if that was not stylish enough, he also hung on the rim after the dunk.
This elicited an immediate, but brief, square off between Diarra and Neal. In anger, Diarra shoved the elated Neal who, without batting an eyelid, signaled the audience to keep cheering. The two players each got technical fouls for this clash.
The Team’s Reactions to Jamiya Neal’s Dunk
According to his postgame interview, Diarra said that he felt Neal’s action was offensive and disrespectful to the basketball game, as the game was already decided at that point by the gap in number of points between the two teams.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley stated in an interview that Neal is a very talented player who has always played a good game. Nevertheless, he reiterated that dunking the ball at the end of a game Neal’s team already won was unnecessary.
Hurley also stated that even though the altercation was not well accepted by many, he is not emotional about Neal’s action and still loves Greg McDermott, the head coach at Creighton.
Hassan Diarra on Jamiya Neal’s dunk at the end of the game:
“I just felt it was disrespectful to the game of basketball.” pic.twitter.com/YpKmHCFwtb
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 15, 2025
“Obviously, that first-half defensive performance was not worthy of having a chance to play on Saturday night at MSG against St. John’s,” Hurley said.
Diarra and Hurley’s comments ignited negative reactions from people, as Hurley is known for his intensity on the sidelines, yelling and regular use of profanities.
Neal apologized in his interview, stating that his excitement over winning the game spurred him to his action.
“I just got caught up in the emotions of the moment,” Neal said.
What Next for Jamiya Neal and His Team?
After defeating UConn, Creighton is set to play against St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, March 15. A win in the Big East Championship could show an indication that they are prepared to make a name for themselves in the NCAA tournament.
KEEP READING: Who Is Dan Hurley Off the Court? ESPN’s “The Other Hurley” Explores His Personal Life
Neal is a player to take a keen interest in, as he has an average of 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game this season. He has also been an instrumental part of the Bluejays, which was obvious even in the number of points he scored for his team against UConn.
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