UConn Crushes St. John's 72-40 in Big East Blowout

Huskies' dominant defensive performance snaps Red Storm's 13-game winning streak

Feb. 26, 2026 at 2:38am

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Tarris Reed Jr. led the way for No. 6 UConn with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks as the Huskies routed No. 15 St. John's 72-40 on Wednesday night. UConn held the Red Storm to just 20% shooting from the field, snapping their 13-game winning streak in the process.

Why it matters

This decisive victory puts UConn back in first place in the Big East standings, avenging an earlier loss to St. John's. The Huskies' dominant defensive performance highlighted their ability to shut down one of the conference's top offenses.

The details

UConn jumped out to a 33-12 lead in the first half, holding St. John's scoreless for a 12-minute stretch. The Huskies outscored the Red Storm 42-14 in the paint and their starters outproduced St. John's starters 61-28. Alex Karaban added 14 points and 5 rebounds for UConn.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 26, 2026.

The players

Tarris Reed Jr.

A standout forward for the UConn Huskies, he led the team with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks in the victory.

Alex Karaban

A key contributor for UConn, he scored 14 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in the blowout win.

Rick Pitino

The Hall of Fame head coach of the St. John's Red Storm, whose team suffered its most lopsided defeat in his 3-year tenure.

Joson Sanon

The leading scorer for St. John's, he had 10 points in the losing effort.

Solo Ball

The UConn guard contributed 11 points and 4 assists to the Huskies' dominant performance.

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What’s next

St. John's will look to bounce back when they host Villanova at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, while UConn will host Seton Hall on the same day.

The takeaway

UConn's stifling defense and balanced scoring attack proved too much for the previously hot-shooting St. John's squad, highlighting the Huskies' status as a top contender in the Big East conference.