NEW YORK — In a remarkable display of skill and teamwork, Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejiofor each contributed 18 points as the 10th-ranked St. John’s defeated UConn 89-75 on Sunday. This victory marked St. John’s first regular-season sweep of the Huskies in a quarter-century.
RJ Luis Jr., standing out as the team’s leading scorer, added 14 points after recovering from a groin injury that sidelined him during Wednesday’s triumph over DePaul. With this win, St. John’s, now 24-4 overall and 15-2 in the Big East, is just one victory away or needs a loss from Creighton to secure a share of its first regular-season conference title since 1992.
Aaron Scott provided significant support with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Deivon Smith contributed 12 points along with eight assists. Ejiofor showcased an impressive performance by grabbing nine rebounds and handing out six assists, boasting an effective shooting night of 5-for-6 from the field and hitting 8 of 9 free throws—all in front of a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Alex Karaban was the standout for UConn, leading his team with 17 points. The reigning two-time NCAA champions came into this game riding high, having achieved nine consecutive victories against ranked teams and eight straight wins at Madison Square Garden.
**Key Takeaways**
For UConn, the last 30 seconds of the first half epitomized their troubles as they managed to secure six offensive rebounds without converting any points, resulting in a 50-32 deficit at halftime and a 22-point gap early in the second half.
On the other hand, St. John’s continued to shine at home, achieving a perfect 17-0 record and matching the school record for conference wins set in the 1984-85 season.
**Crucial Moments**
A pivotal moment occurred for St. John’s when they executed an eight-point possession during the first half. With 4:23 remaining, Luis sank a 3-pointer, which was followed by a flagrant foul by Samson Johnson after a replay. Ejiofor capitalized with two free throws before Scott nailed a third three-pointer, widening the lead to 43-26.
**Important Stats**
UConn faced challenges throughout, missing 15 layups and committing 18 turnovers, which brought their season total to 40 turnovers across two matchups against St. John’s. Meanwhile, despite entering the game as the worst three-point shooting team in the Big East at 29.8%, St. John’s made eight three-pointers in the first half, finishing the game with a 42.1% success rate by going 8-for-19 from beyond the arc.
**Looking Ahead**
UConn will be back in action on Wednesday as they host Georgetown in Hartford, while St. John’s is set to travel to Butler on the same day.
