University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Hold On To Defeat St. John's
1/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Storrs, CT (January 23, 2002) - Johnnie Selvie (Sr., Flint, MI) scored 16 points to lead four teammates in double figures as 25th-ranked Connecticut earned its fifth-straight win with a 75-70 BIG EAST Conference victory over St. John's in front of the usual sellout crowd of 10,027 at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion Wednesday evening.
The Huskies improve to 13-3 with the win, and a perfect 6-0 in conference play. The Red Storm drop to 13-5, 4-3 in the BIG EAST.
St. John's battled back from as many as 13 down to take the lead at 57-55 on two free throws by Marcus Hatten. The Huskies responded with eight straight points as Selvie and Ben Gordon (Fr., Mt. Vernon, NY) each scored four. Gordon made a reverse dunk off a steal by Caron Butler (So., Racine, WI) during the key run. St. John's got within one, 71-70, with 1:52 to play but the Huskies scored the game's final four points.
Butler scored 13 for UConn, while Emeka Okafor (Fr., Houston, TX), Tony Robertson (Jr., Providence, RI) and Gordon each had 11 for the Huskies. Taliek Brown (So., Queens, NY) chipped in with nine points.
Hatten, the BIG EAST's sixth leading scorer who was held scoreless until 8:52 remained in the game, and Donald Emanuel each had 16 for the Red Storm.
The Huskies took advantage of 25 St. John's fouls by converting 28 of 36 free throws. The normally hot-shooting Huskies, connecting on 50.3 percent from the field for the season, were held to just 43.1 percent shooting in the game. However, UConn held St. John's to just 38.7 percent shooting. The Huskies enjoyed a 44-33 rebounding advantage, paced by Okafor's 10. Okafor earned his fourth double-double of his freshman season and his first in BIG EAST play.
The Huskies conclude the non-league portion of their 2001-02 schedule when they travel to play 12th-ranked Arizona on Saturday, Jan. 26. Game time is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised regionally by CBS.
