No. 22 St. John's upsets third-ranked UConn, ending 18-game win streak

Red Storm make Big East statement with 81-72 victory at Madison Square Garden

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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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 way for the Red Storm with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins also scored in double figures. The win moves St. John's within a half-game of first-place UConn in the conference standings.

Why it matters

This game showcased St. John's as a legitimate challenger to UConn's dominance in the Big East this season. The Red Storm's victory at the iconic Madison Square Garden in front of a raucous crowd demonstrated their ability to compete with one of the top teams in the country.

The details

St. John's jumped out to a 55-45 lead early 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 maintained their slim lead and sealed the victory with a late 3-pointer from Dylan Darling and a basket from Ejiofor. St. John's went 22-for-31 from the free-throw line, while UConn was just 5-of-12.

  • 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 seven 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 junior point guard for UConn who had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, but also committed nine of the team's 15 turnovers.

Alex Karaban

A UConn player who scored 17 points in the loss.

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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 (The Associated Press)

“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 (The Associated Press)

“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 (The Associated Press)

What’s next

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

The takeaway

This game demonstrated that St. John's is a legitimate threat to UConn's dominance in the Big East this season. The Red Storm's victory at Madison Square Garden in front of a passionate crowd showed their ability to compete with one of the top teams in the country and sets up an intriguing rematch later in the season.