University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
22-7,11-7Big East
St. John's University
17-13,7-12Big East
No. 18 Huskies Roll Over St. John's At MSG
2/25/2023 3:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / Feb. 25, 2023
NEW YORK – Circle another day on the UConn men's basketball team's February calendar of revenge.
For the fourth time in less than three weeks, the Huskies turned the tables on a team that had defeated them earlier in the season when they went to Madison Square Garden Saturday and knocked off St. John's, 95-86.
UConn (22-7 overall, 11-7 BIG EAST), which has won three straight and six of its last seven games, solidified its hold on fifth place in the BIG EAST, which offers a bye through the first round of the conference tournament to the top five teams.
"I was impressed by the way that were played offensively," UConn Coach Dan Hurley said. "Just making shots and looking like a team that has some real offensive punch."
It was UConn's highest-scoring BIG EAST game this season as the Huskies scored 50 points in the first half, shot 51.7 percent and built a nine-point halftime lead, 50-41, that they never relinquished.
The Huskies received their usual contributions from stars Jordan Hawkins (20 points, four 3-pointers, 3 assists, 3 steals) and Adama Sanogo (18 points, 9 rebounds), but it was the 32 points off the bench that clinched the victory.
Grad student Joey Calcaterra tied his season-high with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while freshman Donovan had 9 points, 6 rebounds and tied a career-high with 5 blocked shots and senior Nahiem Alleyne added 8, including the 1,000th point of his college career. The UConn reserves scored 32 points, their highest in a BIG EAST game.
"That bench resembles more like it was in November and December," Hurley said.
With Hawkins, Sanogo and Calcaterra leading the offense in the first half, UConn broke away with 6:00 remaining until halftime and widened the gap to 15, 50-35, before settling for the 50-41 lead at the break.
The Huskies scored the first six points of the second half to make the score 56-41 and only once did St. John's (17-13, 7-12) get the lead under double digits until the final seconds.
The MSG crowd of more 12,000 had a pretty even split of UConn and St. John's supporters, but the Husky faithful certainly made their voices heard.
"We tried to prepare the team last night by telling them what the atmosphere would be like," Hurley said, "like a precursor to the Big East Tournament."
After losses in January to Providence, Marquette, St. John's and Seton Hall, the Huskies have come bac k in February to defeat all of them the second time around.
The last two games on the regular-season schedule are against teams the Huskies beat in first games – DePaul and Villanova. Revenge month may be over, but following next week's games, Postseason Month is about to begin.
