No. 22 St. John's ends UConn's 18-game win streak

Red Storm defeat third-ranked Huskies 81-72 in Big East showdown at Madison Square Garden

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In a matchup of the Big East's top two teams, No. 22 St. John's defeated third-ranked UConn 81-72 at Madison Square Garden, snapping the Huskies' 18-game winning streak. Zuby Ejiofor led the Red Storm with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins added 15 and 14 points respectively. The win moves St. John's within a half-game of first-place UConn in the conference standings.

Why it matters

This game was a significant early-season showdown between the top two teams in the Big East, with St. John's proving it can compete with the conference powerhouse Huskies. The win gives the Red Storm a major statement victory and boosts their chances of winning the Big East regular season title.

The details

St. John's jumped out to a 55-45 lead in the second half, but UConn responded with a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 64-63 with 5:35 remaining. However, the Red Storm held on down the stretch, getting a key 3-pointer from Dylan Darling and a basket from Ejiofor to extend the lead. UConn shot 55% from the field but committed 15 turnovers, with junior point guard Silas Demary Jr. responsible for 9 of them.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 7, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The players

Zuby Ejiofor

A senior forward for St. John's who had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in the win. He was the Big East preseason player of the year.

Dillon Mitchell

A player for St. John's who scored 15 points in the victory.

Bryce Hopkins

A St. John's player who contributed 14 points in the game.

Silas Demary Jr.

The UConn junior point guard who had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists but also committed 9 of the team's 15 turnovers.

Alex Karaban

A UConn player who scored 17 points in the loss.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We made a lot of big plays tonight, a lot of big plays, and I'm proud of our guys for just not panicking one bit at any point in the game.”

— Rick Pitino, Hall of Fame coach (wbal.com)

“Just an all-around great atmosphere to play basketball. Friday night, MSG, great opponent, and, like Coach said, we had more of a home crowd than we thought, and the student crowd was engaged. All the emotions really just flew out.”

— Zuby Ejiofor (wbal.com)

“It was Great Adventure. It was a roller-coaster ride. I mean, it really was. He had some incredible plays. We were too loose with the ball.”

— Dan Hurley, Huskies coach (wbal.com)

“I thought The Garden was as good as I've seen it. I thought it was unbelievable how good The Garden was. … Tremendous crowd.”

— Rick Pitino, Hall of Fame coach (wbal.com)

“They're grown men. They're built for Big East games.”

— Dan Hurley, Huskies coach (wbal.com)

What’s next

The two teams will meet again on February 25, 2026 in Hartford, Connecticut.

The takeaway

This game showed that St. John's is a legitimate contender in the Big East this season, capable of knocking off the conference powerhouse UConn Huskies. The win gives the Red Storm a major boost in their quest to win the Big East regular season title and earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.