GAMEDAY Mens Basketball

Connecticut 95, Saint John's 86

(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK - Jordan Hawkins scored 20 points, Adama Sanogo added 18 points and nine rebounds, and No. 18 UConn beat St. John's 95-86.

Andre Jackson Jr. had 15 points, Joey Calcaterra also scored 15 to lead a strong effort by Connecticut's bench and the resurgent Huskies (22-7, 11-7 Big East) avenged an 11-point loss to St. John's at home last month.

UConn won for the sixth time in seven games, closing in on a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament.

AJ Storr had 20 points and Posh Alexander added 18 for the Red Storm (17-13, 7-12), who had won three of four.

David Jones scored 15 off the bench - all in the second half - and Joel Soriano marked Senior Day with 12 points and 11 rebounds for his 22nd double-double this season, most in Division I.

Soriano fouled out with 3:02 remaining and St. John's down by 12.

There was plenty of jawing between the Big East rivals before a split crowd at Madison Square Garden in a game that included four technical fouls.

UConn scored the first six points of the second half down low and opened the period with a 12-4 surge that gave the Huskies a 62-45 cushion with 13:31 remaining.

St. John's trimmed it to nine with 9:32 left, but technical fouls on Dylan Addae-Wusu and Red Storm coach Mike Anderson led to four free throws by Hawkins over the next 5:10 that helped UConn build its lead back to 15.

Three players off the bench - Calcaterra, Nahiem Alleyne and 7-foot-2 freshman Donovan Clingan - keyed a couple of quick spurts that put UConn in control late in the first half.

Alleyne hit a pull-up jumper and assisted on Clingan's dunk during a 7-0 run capped by Calcaterra's 3-pointer that gave the Huskies a 39-27 advantage.

St. John's shaved it to seven before another 3 by Calcaterra completed a 10-2 surge that put UConn ahead by 15. Alexander converted a 3-point play and drained a 3-pointer to send the Red Storm into the break down 50-41.

SENIOR DAY

St. John's honored Soriano, Esahia Nyiwe and injured guard Montez Mathis during a pregame ceremony on the court. Nyiwe made his first start of the season but sat down with two fouls - including a technical - just 4:16 in.

STATUS REPORT

St. John's reserve Rafael Pinzon, suspended indefinitely, sat out his third straight game. The sophomore guard is averaging 6.1 points per game. ... Red Storm guard Andre Curbelo came off the bench for the second consecutive game. He was held out for each of the previous three, a coach's decision.

BIG PICTURE

UConn: Improved to 67-59 all-time at Madison Square Garden, which will host the Big East Tournament next month.

St. John's: Headed for the 8-9 game in the first round of the Big East Tournament. ... Soriano's 22 double-doubles are the most by a St. John's player since Walter Berry had 28 in 1985-86.

February 25, 2023