St. John's Basketball Stuns No. 5 UConn In Big East Upset
St. Johns Basketball Stuns No. 5 UConn In Big East Upset...
St. John's University pulled off a major upset Tuesday night, defeating No. 5-ranked UConn 78-72 in a thrilling Big East showdown at Madison Square Garden. The victory marks the Red Storm's first win over a top-5 opponent since 2018 and could significantly boost their NCAA Tournament resume.
The game, played before a raucous crowd of 19,812, saw St. John's (18-11, 10-8 Big East) overcome a 10-point second-half deficit behind 24 points from senior guard Posh Alexander. UConn (25-6, 15-4), the defending national champions, had their eight-game winning streak snapped despite 21 points from star guard Tristen Newton.
The upset is trending nationally as it reshapes the Big East tournament seeding picture with just one week remaining in the regular season. St. John's coach Rick Pitino called it "the signature win we've been building toward" in his first season with the program.
Tuesday's victory continues St. John's late-season surge, with the team now winning five of its last six games. The Red Storm's improved play comes after Pitino publicly criticized his team's effort and toughness following a February 18 loss to Seton Hall.
Basketball analysts note the win could push St. John's off the NCAA Tournament bubble and into safer at-large consideration. ESPN's Joe Lunardi moved the Red Storm into his projected field of 68 immediately after the game.
The upset sparked celebrations across New York City, with fans flooding social media with highlights of Alexander's clutch plays and the final buzzer scene at MSG. St. John's students began lining up outside Carnesecca Arena early Wednesday morning for tickets to Saturday's regular season finale against Georgetown.
UConn, which had already clinched the Big East regular season title, saw its hopes for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament take a hit. Coach Dan Hurley called the loss "a wake-up call" with postseason play approaching.
The Red Storm will look to build on their momentum when they host Georgetown at 12 p.m. ET Saturday on Fox. A win would give St. John's its first 20-win season since 2018-19.
