St. John's basketball took a massive beatdown versus UConn back on Feb. 25. That 72-40 Huskies win had most of the college basketball world believing Dan Hurley and the Huskies were the Big East favorite before March Madness.
But the Red Storm obliterated that narrative Saturday, pounding UConn 72-52 in the tournament finals. St. John's hit Big East history in the process.
BACK-TO-BACK🏆
First program in BIG EAST history to win consecutive outright Regular Season and Tournament Championships 🔴⛈️ pic.twitter.com/ceI3RnvGQH
— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) March 15, 2026
St. John's faced some nightmare scenarios before the conclusion of the conference title game. Among them was falling to the No. 5 seed and seeing UConn earn a higher bid. That embarrassing February loss sounded off the alarm that the Red Storm would eventually lose their grip on the conference.
But here's how St. John's pummeled a stacked UConn team.
St. John's bottles key strength for UConn
The Huskies became the one misfiring from long range. Pitino created a far different pressure scheme that delivered this astonishing number: Holding UConn to 15.8% consistency from three-point land.
St. John's scheme looked like the Feb. 25 one the Huskies threw on the Red Storm. But it was the Johnnies' defenders eliminating the long-distance attempts.
The Storm additionally exploited one more weakness of UConn's side: Ball security. The back-to-back Big East champs forced 16 turnovers against the Huskies. That includes snatching 10 total team steals.
Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins led with 18 points, while Ozyiah Sellers added 14. Ejiofor shattered a Big East tourney defensive record too by swatting five blocks. UConn delivered minimal scoring options, as Tarrin Reed Jr. became the only one scoring in double figures (17 points).
Pitino is now the first Red Storm coach since Mike Jarvis to lead consecutive NCAA Tournament runs. St. John's looks ready to land a No. 2 seed now ahead of Selection Sunday.
