Connecticut's lopsided win over St. John's, 72-40, was extra emotional for many, as it was Alex Karaban's final game at PeoplesBank Arena.
They may not have said it publicly, but the No. 5 Huskies likely used it as an added motivation to beat the No. 14 Red Storm, on top of wanting to avenge their loss in their previous meeting at Madison Square Garden (MSG) earlier this month.
UConn improved to 26-3, including 16-2 in the Big East, and coach Dan Hurley was very pleased with their performance, as he said in the video posted by Hartford Courant's Joe Arruda.
“Outside of missing a lot of good looks from three, you know, there's not a whole lot for me to complain about,” stated Hurley.
“Just a lot of soul-searching by the group. During that stretch starting at MSG, where our defense kind of tanked, and you saw today its capability, so we're dialed in.”
Dan Hurley’s opening statement: “Not much for me to complain about.”
Said Reed’s performance was as good as a center’s ever had for him. “Pain (of Creighton loss) changes people.” pic.twitter.com/kwg3SoPcnL
— Joe Arruda (@joearruda9) February 26, 2026
While Hurley acknowledged Karaban, he showered praise on Tarris Reed Jr. for leading the charge. He mentioned that Reed has stepped up since being upset by Creighton last week.
“To me, the game was about just Tarris Reed and what he's capable of,” added Hurley.
“A lot of people change in life because of pain. Pain forces people to change, and the pain of that Creighton game, the pain of that St. John's game at MSG (motivated Reed). That guy's performance was as good as a center has played for us in a game.”
Reed finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and six blocks. Karaban, meanwhile, had 14 points and five rebounds.
Connecticut snapped St. John's 13-game winning streak.
