UConn’s undefeated Big East bid ends at hands of St John’s in MSG thriller

The No. 3 UConn men’s basketball team has put together quite a resume thus far. With big wins over some of the top teams in the country, the Huskies have demonstrated they can compete against elite competition. This past Friday night was yet another opportunity for the Huskies to show the country that they are a top-flight program. However, Dan Hurley’s squad had its work cut out for them, facing No. 22 St. John’s for the program’s toughest Big East matchup yet. The Huskies could not get the job done Friday night, falling 81-72.

As expected, much of the first half was a tug-of-war affair. Only a few points separated the two programs at any given time. However, both sides had their chances to pull away.

Connecticut hobbled a bit out of the gate defensively, vacating the paint on numerous occasions, giving the Johnnies easy looks at the rim. Bryce Hopkins thrived because of this, scoring six points and grabbing numerous rebounds. Dillon Mitchell also proved to be a thorn in UConn’s side, knocking down tough jumpers and using his frame to create space in the paint. The senior forward led St. John’s with eight points on 4-5 shooting.

Neither program had any top-heavy scorer; nearly everyone who came onto the floor contributed. However, it was impossible to miss the early impact Braylon Mullins had on Connecticut.

Mullins’ patented quick release was on display as the freshman nailed a pair of difficult pull-up threes en route to a solid eight-point first half. The Indiana natives’ points all came at the front end of the first half. While Mullins was still being aggressive on and off the ball, the St. John’s defense adjusted, preventing Mullins from even getting a shot up. The pressure was palpable throughout the whole night. Even before the ball was inbounded, St. John’s defenders were crowding UConn inbounders and receivers, oftentimes leading to a dangerous pass and sometimes a turnover. Postgame, Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino told the media how the press slowly wears a team down, even if it doesn’t yield a turnover.

“It wears you out. A lot of times, the benefits of the press is physically to try and get open for five seconds in; it tires you, and it wears on your rebounding, wears on your passing. Rebounding, turnovers and assists, we did a great job tonight,” Pitino said.

Tarris Reed Jr. also put together a solid eight-point first half; most of his buckets came via bully ball. The Michigan transfer also grabbed four rebounds; however, Silas Demary Jr. led the game with five, despite just being a point guard. Demary excelled at getting to the long rebounds and finding his teammates in space.

UConn’s offense has had better nights, though most of its offensive struggles stemmed from the program’s defensive performance, specifically in fouling. St. John’s finished a whopping 11-14 from the charity stripe, while UConn only went 4-6 in that regard. Foul shots were an issue for Connecticut, stemming from poor transition defense. It was why the half was all knotted up at 39 points a piece despite the Huskies outshooting St. John’s from the field by a solid margin. Postgame, Hurley told the media he was frustrated with his side’s performance in key fundamental areas.

“The free throws, we didn’t make them. We didn’t shoot many, and then when we did shoot them, we missed them,” Hurley said. “So, you go minus-17 pointwise at the foul line, and turn the ball over 15 times, and get outrebounded, you’re not gonna win on the road.”

While the first half was razor close with both sides needing to make halftime adjustments, it was the Red Storm who adjusted to the Huskies; the inbound pressure was getting to Connecticut. Soon, it became too much for the program to handle, and the wheels started to come off for UConn.

The “90-10” crowd in favor of the Johnnies, according to Pitino, came to life in the second half. The pressure was mounting on Connecticut; suddenly, the Johnnies had newfound wind under their sails, and before you could blink, St. John’s went up 10. At this point, Connecticut’s momentum was seized, and Hurley was forced to burn a timeout.

While Connecticut came out of the timeout and eventually climbed back, trailing by as little as a point, the program never had an answer for Zuby Ejiofor, who was the UConn killer in the second half. The Red Storm forward was a total monster in the post. Ejiofor never sat in the second half, putting up 14 points and snagging seven rebounds. However, what was more impressive was how he was generating his points. Ejiofor backed down his defender and cashed in on a devastating baby hook that UConn seemingly could never stop; these buckets came at inopportune times for the program.

Alex Karaban, as he has done so many times during his collegiate career, put together an excellent second-half performance that allowed UConn to claw back as much as they did. The redshirt senior put up 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting, with most coming in the paint. Karaban also hit a shot from downtown, fully displaying his full offensive arsenal at his disposal.

Despite turning the ball over a whopping six times in the second half, Demary also put together an excellent effort. The Georgia transfer took over the contest for Connecticut at one point, blowing by his man for tough finishes at the rack. Demary also knocked down a three, coming away with 12 points for his troubles.

“It was a great adventure. It was a rollercoaster ride,” Hurley quipped to the media describing Demary’s night.

There was, however, one constant from the first half: free throws. It was truly death by free throws at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, and UConn was on the chopping block. While a handful of free throws can be attributed to late-game intentional fouling, St. John’s made 11 free throws to Connecticut’s one. St. John’s played suffocating defense for 40 minutes. While UConn’s defense had its bright spots at times, it also had its dull moments, creating numerous offensive opportunities for the Johnnies.

With three minutes left, Dylan Darling hit a dagger three, putting the Red Storm up by five and effectively putting UConn on the ropes. Missed free throws and turnovers eventually did the Huskies in, and St. John’s emerged victorious, 81-72, to complete the upset.

While some Connecticut fans may find Friday night to be a tough pill to swallow, the season is far from done. The program has an excellent 22-2 record and is still on course to be a high seed in the NCAA Tournament, with plenty of room to get even better. While Saturday was a tough loss, the Huskies will be back on the road next Wednesday for a road showdown against Butler.