New York, NY — Zuby Ejiofor turned in a dominant all-around performance as No. 22 St. John’s stunned third-ranked UConn 81–72 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden, snapping the Huskies’ 18-game winning streak and shaking up the Big East race.
Ejiofor powered the Red Storm with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, controlling the game on both ends and setting the tone in the paint. Dillon Mitchell added 15 points and Bryce Hopkins chipped in 14 as St. John’s (18–5, 11–1) won its ninth straight contest and 14th in its last 16 outings, drawing within a half-game of UConn (22–2, 12–1) atop the conference.
The win also carried historic weight for Rick Pitino. The Hall of Fame coach earned his 903rd career victory, tying Roy Williams for third place on the Division I men’s all-time wins list, another milestone in his first season leading the Red Storm.
For UConn, Silas Demary Jr. filled up the box score with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, but his night was marred by nine turnovers, part of 15 giveaways by the Huskies in a high-intensity clash between the league’s last two champions. Alex Karaban added 17 points in a losing effort.
The atmosphere inside a sold-out Madison Square Garden was electric, with a raucous crowd split between both fan bases but leaning heavily toward St. John’s. The Red Storm fed off that energy, especially at the foul line, where they repeatedly punished UConn’s fouls. St. John’s converted 22 of 31 free throws, while the Huskies managed just 5 of 12, a glaring disparity that loomed large in the final margin.
The first half was a tug-of-war, featuring six lead changes and four ties, and fittingly ended deadlocked at 39–39. St. John’s seized control after the break with a blistering 10–0 run, punctuated by a Hopkins 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 55–45 with 13 minutes remaining.
UConn refused to fold. Demary buried a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 64–63 with 5:35 left, giving the Huskies life and quieting the Garden momentarily. But the Red Storm responded with poise, tightening up defensively, taking care of the ball, and executing late to rebuild a cushion they would not relinquish.
The loss marks just UConn’s second setback of the season; the Huskies’ only previous defeat came back on Nov. 19, a 71–67 home loss to then-undefeated Arizona, now ranked No. 1 in the nation.
The rivalry chapter is far from closed. St. John’s and UConn will meet again on Feb. 25 in Hartford in what now shapes up as a marquee rematch with major Big East title implications.
Next up, UConn heads to Butler on Wednesday night, looking to reset after the end of its long winning streak. St. John’s stays at Madison Square Garden, hosting Xavier on Monday in Rick Pitino’s second meeting this season against his son, Richard, the first-year head coach of the Musketeers.
