STORRS, Conn. — Creighton guard Josh Dix stepped to the free-throw line late in the second half, the crowd at Gampel Pavilion hushed after a timeout. He sank both shots, pushing the Bluejays ahead by seven with under four minutes left. That poise helped seal a 91-84 upset over No. 5 UConn.

Before tipoff, UConn players and fans observed a moment of silence for Dix’s mother, Mary Dix, who passed away on Nov. 13 following a battle with colon cancer. The 20-year-old junior from Omaha honored her memory with a game-high 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including three 3-pointers.

“She was my biggest fan,” Dix said after the game, according to Creighton coach Greg McDermott. “This one was for her.”

Creighton improved to 5-2 overall and 1-0 in Big East play with the road win. UConn dropped to 6-2 and 0-1 in conference. The Huskies led by as many as 11 in the first half, but Creighton rallied with a 20-7 run bridging halftime to grab control.

Dix wasn’t alone in the effort. Teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner added 18 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Steven Ashworth chipped in 15 points and nine assists, while Baylor Scheierman tallied 14 points off the bench.

For UConn, freshman Stephon Castle led with 20 points. Tristen Newton scored 17, and Alex Karaban had 15 points and eight boards. The Huskies shot 50% from the field but struggled at the line, going 15 of 26.

A group of about 50 Creighton fans made the 1,300-mile trek from Omaha to Storrs. They mobbed Dix at center court after the final buzzer, offering hugs and condolences. One held a sign reading “Dix Strong.”

McDermott praised his star’s resilience. “Josh has been through a lot these past weeks,” the coach said. “To see him play with such heart tonight means everything.”

Creighton hosts Xavier on Saturday. UConn travels to Indiana for a nonconference matchup Friday.