No. 13 St. John's Crushes No. 6 UConn for Big East Title

Red Storm win conference tournament for second straight year

Mar. 15, 2026 at 6:49am

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In a dominant performance, the 13th-ranked St. John's Red Storm defeated the 6th-ranked UConn Huskies 72-52 to win the Big East tournament championship. Zuby Ejiofor led St. John's with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks and 3 steals, earning tournament MVP honors. The Red Storm raced out to a big early lead and never let up, shooting 48.2% from the field and scoring 24 points off UConn's 17 turnovers. UConn shot just 33.9% and missed 16 of 19 3-point attempts in the loss.

Why it matters

This victory marks the fifth Big East tournament title for St. John's, who have now won the championship in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. The Red Storm, projected as a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament, have now won 19 of their last 20 games and are establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with heading into the Big Dance.

The details

St. John's came out firing, scoring the game's first 10 points and never letting UConn get closer than 9 points the rest of the way. Ejiofor was dominant in the paint, while Bryce Hopkins and Oziyah Sellers also scored in double figures for the Red Storm. UConn's leading scorer Solo Ball was held to just 3 points on 1-of-7 shooting, as the Huskies struggled mightily from the field and committed 17 turnovers.

  • St. John's won their fifth Big East tournament title on March 15, 2026.
  • This was the Red Storm's second straight Big East tournament championship.

The players

Zuby Ejiofor

The tournament's most outstanding player, Ejiofor totaled 18 points, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks and 3 steals for St. John's.

Bryce Hopkins

Scored 18 points for the Red Storm in the victory.

Oziyah Sellers

Contributed 14 points for St. John's.

Tarris Reed Jr.

Led UConn with 17 points on 8-of-17 shooting.

Solo Ball

UConn's leading scorer was held to just 3 points on 1-of-7 shooting.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

What’s next

The Red Storm will now await their seeding and matchup in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, where they will look to make a deep run after winning their second straight Big East title.

The takeaway

St. John's has emerged as a true powerhouse in the Big East, winning back-to-back conference tournament championships and establishing themselves as a team to watch in the NCAA Tournament. Their dominant performance over a highly-ranked UConn squad shows they have the talent and toughness to compete with the best teams in the country.