NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The most anticipated college basketball game of the 2025-26 season did not disappoint, as No. 22/22 St. John’s earned an 81-72 victory over No. 3/3 UConn in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden. The win for the Red Storm extended their win streak to nine games, while the loss snapped the Huskies’ 18-game win streak, which began on Nov. 23.
St. John’s 81, UConn 72 – Box Score
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Zuby Ejiofor finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, and two steals to lead No. 22/22 St. John’s past No. 3/3 UConn in front of a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden.
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The senior forward made 6-of-10 shots from the floor and 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.
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Neither team gained more than a six-point advantage in the first half; UConn led 16-10 with 13:50 to play in the period, while SJU took a 23-17 lead at the 10:10 mark.
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There were six lead changes and four ties, including a 39-39 score at intermission.
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UConn’s Solo Ball 3-pointer early in the second half made it 45-45 before a 10-0 run by St. John’s gave it the lead for good.
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Bryce Hopkins’ 3-pointer with 13:03 to play.
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The Huskies cut the deficit to one point twice, the last coming off a Silas Demary Jr. layup which made it 66-65 with 4:46 remaining.
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SJU would outscore UConn 15-7 the rest of the way.
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Dillon Mitchell had 15 points and six rebounds, while Bryce Hopkins chipped in with 14 points and six boards for the Johnnies.
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UConn was led by 18 points from Silas Demary Jr., who also added seven rebounds and five assists.
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Alex Karaban tallied an efficient 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from the perimeter. Tarris Reed Jr. added 12 points and Braylon Mullins 11.
Of Note:
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Dating back to last season, St. John’s has won three straight against Connecticut.
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It was St. John’s’ highest-ranked win since Feb. 3, 2021, when it defeated No. 3/3 Villanova at Carnesecca Arena; it was the highest-ranked victory for the Red Storm at Madison Square Garden since taking down No. 3/3 Duke on Jan. 30, 2011
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Since Jan. 6, SJU’s Bryce Hopkins is averaging 14.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game
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UConn’s 18 straight wins marked the third-longest win streak in program history
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Alex Karaban made his 134th career start at UConn – one short of the program record, held by Jake Voskuhl (1996-2000)