UConn, ranked No. 6, played amazing defense, holding St. John’s, ranked No. 15, to only 19.6% shooting from the field overall and a horrible 20% in the second half, during which they went more than 10 minutes without making a field goal. The Huskies made it hard for the Red Storm to score, out-rebounded them 41-37, controlled the paint 42-12, and scored 14-0 in transition points while only turning the ball over five times. This 72-40 win was the biggest in series history and ended UConn’s perfect 8-0 record at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.
Tarris Reed Jr. was the leader with 20 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and five blocks. He led several runs, including dunks and assists in transition. Alex Karaban and Braylon Mullins made important three-pointers and scored quickly, and Jayden Ross added highlight-reel dunks after steals. Rick Pitino had to call timeouts for St. John’s because UConn was putting so much pressure on them.
UConn is now 26-3 overall and 16-2 in Big East play, just ahead of St. John’s, which is 22-6 overall and 15-2 in conference play. If both teams finish 18-2, the win puts the Huskies in a great position to share the regular-season title. Tiebreakers will be needed for tournament seeding. UConn’s championship push was back on track after this blowout ended St. John’s 13-game winning streak.
