Hartford — From the first possession of Tuesday's intense Big East battle between two nationally-ranked teams to the dramatic last one, the XL Center crowd noise often hovered around ear-splitting levels.

It was fitting that No. 21 UConn's first regular season win over a top 10 team in nine years ended with a court-storming celebration.

Jubilant fans flooded the court after a thrilling, statement-making 71-69 victory over No. 8 Villanova.

Somewhere in the crowd, veteran guard R.J. Cole, who converted a contested driving layup for the go-ahead basket with 5.9 seconds remaining, soaked it all. The Huskies rallied from a four-point deficit with 26 seconds left.

"It was cool," Cole said. "It was a special moment. I was trying to get back to the handshake line but I got stuck. Honestly, it was just amazing. A huge moment for the program."

Coach Dan Hurley would have to wait for his team in the tunnel to celebrate. He was ejected from the game and departed with about five minutes left in the first half, leaving the team in the capable hands of associate head coach Kimani Young.

"Incredible win," Hurley said. "Incredible, incredible atmosphere. So uplifting. For me, it's just a huge win for the program. What an emerging team, formidable team that's as good as anyone in this league."

UConn (20-7, 11-5) extended its winning streak to four straight, took sole possession of third place in the Big East and ended a five-game losing streak in the series. Villanova (21-7, 14-4) remains in second place.

It's an important step for the Huskies under Hurley, whose teams have struggled to beat the top Big East programs since his arrival in 2018.

"Everybody in our program knew what was at stake today and we were ready for it," Young said.

There were so many Husky heroes.

Sophomore Adama Sanogo, whose foul trouble contributed to a 85-74 loss on Feb. 5 in Philadelphia, finished with 20 points and six rebounds and held Eric Dixon to four points. Dixon had 24 in the first meeting.

Cole continues to be Mr. Clutch, scoring the biggest basket of the game and finishing with 12 points while also drawing a charge on Villanova star Collin Gillespie with 1.1 seconds remaining to basically seal the win. Veteran forward Isaiah Whaley chipped in 13 points while Tyrese Martin added nine points and nine rebounds.

The Huskies showed poise and determination down the stretch in a tight game that neither team led by more than seven points.

Trailing 69-65, Tyler Polley (nine points) curled around a screen and hit a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left to cut the gap to one.

Then the Huskies forced a jump ball when Andre Jackson and Cole surrounded Gillespie. The possession arrow favored UConn.

Coming out of a timeout, Cole made a strong move to the basket and finished over Villanova's Brandon Slater to hand the Huskies a 70-69 edge with 5.9 seconds left.

"I was hoping that ball went in the basket," Cole said.

Villanova rushed the ball down the court and Gillespie was called for an offensive foul, plowing into Cole with 1.1 seconds on the clock, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Jackson made the first of two free throws and intentionally missed the second. The clock ran out and fans ran on the court.

"That's what college sports is about," Young said. "It is going to be something that they remember forever. It was an awesome experience, awesome atmosphere. I know we're UConn, but we deserve to storm the court tonight."

There was an electric atmosphere in what was the biggest regular season game in recent UConn basketball history.

Fans stood in the rain outside the XL Center waiting to get in over two hours before tip-off time.

The crowd did its best to energize the Huskies, who had lost 12 straight to top 10 competition since beating No. 1 Florida in the 2014 NCAA Championship national semifinals. Their last regular season win came against No. 6 Syracuse in 2013 in the XL Center.

The Huskies played like a team possessed.

They had to pull it off without Hurley, who didn't stick around for long.

Upset over a no call on Martin's shot, Hurley slapped the scorer's table. Official James Breeding whistled Hurley for his fourth technical foul this season at the 4:53 mark of the first half.

Before Gillespie took the technical free throws, Hurley turned and wildly waved his arms to the crowd, which responded with a roar. Breeding ejected Hurley from the game.

"It was surreal," Hurley said. "I was stunned. I'm very eager to find out from the (Big East) head of officials what the explanation was."

UConn remained focused on the task at hand, responding after Villanova took a 29-24 lead when Gillespie made three of four technical foul shots and Jermaine Samuel buried a 3-pointer.

"We kept our composure," Cole said. "At the same time, once coach (Hurley) went out, now we had to win the game for him. Not just for him, but the team as a whole."

The Huskies led for most of the first half, holding a 33-32 edge at intermission. They made a strong push to begin the second half, building its biggest lead (43-36) on Whaley's two free throws.

They had trouble shaking the Wildcats.

The teams traded the lead down the frantic final minutes and UConn didn't blink when Slater drained two free throws to give Villanova a 69-65 lead with 47 seconds left.

"Villanova is a great team," Polley said. "But we stayed at it and stayed composed. We knew the game wasn't over. We rallied together and came out with a victory. It's a blessing."

The emotionally-drained and physically-exhausted Huskies left the XL Center with a huge resume-building and confidence-building win.

News and notes

It was UConn's first win over Villanova since the 2014 NCAA tournament. ... The Huskies had only eight turnovers and forced the Wildcats into 14. ... After being ejected for the third time in UConn career, Hurley watched the game with athletic director David Benedict. ... Young on coaching the team without Hurley: "In our program, coach (Hurley) gives us all so much responsibility that I felt prepared for that. I really did." ... Jackson and Villanova's Justin Moore both earned a technical late in the first half. ... Villanova, which shot a sizzling 59 percent in the first meeting, converted 45.7 percent on Tuesday. ... Up next: UConn visits Georgetown on Sunday in Washington, D.C.

g.keefe@theday.com