University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
30-3,18-2Big East
St. John's University
20-13,11-9Big East
Backcourt Shines as Huskies Top St. John's In Semis
3/15/2024 10:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK – The top-seed UConn men's basketball team (30-3) advanced to Championship Saturday for the first time since 2011 with a 95-90 win over St. John's (20-13) on Friday night in the Semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The backcourt duo of Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer combined for 45 points and each dished out nine assists in the win.
UConn used its high-powered offense to hold off a feisty St. John's squad, one that cut a double-digit second half Husky lead back into single digits on multiple occasions in the second stanza. Newton had a monster performance with 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds, while Spencer poured in 20 points and dished out a career-high nine helpers. They became the first teammates in BIG EAST Tournament history with at least 20 and nine in the same game.
As a team Connecticut shot 57.4 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from 3-point range, dishing out 23 assists on 31 field goals. After setting a program single game BIG EAST Tournament record with a 58.3 percent mark from the floor in the quarterfinals yesterday, UConn recorded its second-best percentage from the floor in a BIG EAST Tournament game.
In support of UConn's high-scoring backcourt, Alex Karaban chipped in 14 points and Hassan Diarra dropped 10 off the bench. Donovan Clingan battled foul trouble but managed to finish with six points, five rebounds and four blocked shots. Jaylin Stewart provided a first-half spark off the bench, scoring eight points on 4-of-4 shooting and grabbing a pair of rebounds with a block in 11 minutes.
How it Happened
For the third-straight game UConn started slow, seeing St. John's jump out to a quick 7-0 lead before a Spencer 3-pointer broke the ice. The Huskies reeled off a 7-0 run shortly after, tying the score at 13-13 with a Clingan dunk at the 14:51 mark.
A Newton 3-pointer and transition bucket from Stewart pushed the Connecticut advantage to its largest of the day at 30-22 and forced a Red Storm timeout at the 9:01 mark of the first half. Another Newton triple pushed the advantage to 40-32 at 4:28 of the opening stanza, prompting another St. John's stoppage.
A late 6-0 run for the Red Storm in the first half cut the lead down to three, before a pair of Newton free throws to close the half gave UConn a 52-47 lead at the break. Newton finished with 20 points and six assists in the opening 20 minutes.
Early in the second half an 8-0 run for the Huskies stretched the lead back to double-digits at 64-54 five minutes into the period. Connecticut extended the run to a 13-2 burst and prompted a St. John's timeout at 13:48 with the Huskies up 69-56.
A Red Storm 3-pointer at the 9:31 mark of the second half cut the lead back to single-digits and forced a UConn timeout. With six minutes to play, Spencer grabbed a clutch offensive rebound that led to a corner 3-pointer of his own that pushed the lead back to 10 at 81-71.
A run of six-straight from Karaban helped keep the lead in double-figures, but St. John's would not go away. The Red Storm closed to within six at 91-85 inside of the final minute, but the Huskies were able to make late free throws and ice away a five-point victory.
Inside The Numbers
- The Huskies finished 31-54 (57.4 percent) from the floor, 11-22 (50.0 percent) from 3-point range and 22-of-24 (91.7 percent) from the free throw line
- Conversely, St. John's shot 45.1 percent (32-71) from the floor and 45.5 percent (10-22) from 3-point range
- Connecticut held a 38-28 edge in points in the paint and a 16-10 advantage in fast break points
- UConn was slightly out-rebounded 34-30, and out-scored 18-11 in second chance points
- Spencer finished 4-of-5 from 3-point range and had zero turnovers against his nine assists
- Newton's 25 points came on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor, 3-of-7 from 3-point range and 10-of-12 from the free throw line
- Newton and Spencer combined for 18 assists and one turnover
News and Notes
- UConn improved to 34-37 all-time against St. John's and 3-4 against the Red Storm in the BIG EAST Tournament
- The Huskies advanced to their first BIG EAST championship since 2011 after falling in the semifinals each of the last three seasons
- A game after setting his career-high with eight assists, Spencer topped that mark with nine helpers
- The Huskies hit double-digit 3-pointers for the 16th time this season
- Newton's 20-plus point effort was his seventh of the season, while Spencer's was his eighth
- Newton and Spencer gave UConn multiple 20-point scorers in a game for the third time this season
- Clingan has blocked a shot in all 28 games he has appeared in this season and has 20 games with multiple swats
- The Huskies were out-rebounded for only the third time this season
Up Next
The Huskies will play for their eighth BIG EAST Tournament crown on Saturday night at The Garden, taking on either Providence or Marquette
