🚨 Lakers Taking Down the Bulls Heist!
The Huskies lost their chance to reclaim a share of the Big East title but fell behind big early.
Mar 14, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) tries the chase down the loose ball between St. John's Red Storm guard Ian Jackson (11) and forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) during the first half of the men's Big East Conference Tournament Championship at Madison Square Garden.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images Unfortunately, it was never close. UConn men’s basketball failed to make it a contest against St. John’s in the Big East championship game, losing 72-52 on Saturday night.
Rick Pitino’s squad jumped on them from the start, opening with a 10-0 killshot as the Huskies trailed by as much as 17 in the first half. Turnovers, fouls, and a lack of low-post or really any defensive toughness reared their heads for UConn in this major matchup. The Huskies had 11 giveaways in the first half and let the Johnnies hit half their shots through 20 minutes as they took a 13-point lead into halftime.
They finished with 17 turnovers and the Johnnies finished at 48 percent from the field. The Huskies closed in slightly to start the second half, cutting it down to seven by the 12:24 mark, leading to a Pitino time-out. But the Huskies could not hold on to the ball and let the lead bloat back up.