St. John's beats UConn 72-52 for East title
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- St. John's secured its second consecutive Big East tournament championship, defeating UConn 72‑52 at Madison Square Garden, marking the program’s fifth tournament title and its first back‑to‑back crowns.
- Zuby Ejiofor recorded seven blocks, nine rebounds, three steals and 18 points, earning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award and completing a sweep of Big East Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar‑Athlete of the Year honors.
- Rick Pitino became the first Big East coach to win consecutive tournament titles at two different schools, adding a 16th conference tournament win to his résumé and praising his players’ resilience.
- UConn suffered its largest halftime deficit of the season (40‑27) and went 8:03 without a field goal, finishing the game with 52 points, 11 turnovers and a 36% field‑goal percentage in the first half.
- Silas Demary Jr. was helped off the floor with a left ankle injury, a concern for UConn’s rotation heading into the NCAA tournament, according to coach Dan Hurley.
Why it matters: St. John's gains a second straight Big East crown, cementing its status as the conference’s current powerhouse and giving its players and coach Pitino a rare back‑to‑back title, while UConn loses a chance to defend its crown and must adjust its lineup after Demary's ankle injury.
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