St. John's downs No. 3 UConn, ends Huskies' 18-game win streak - ESPN

NEW YORK — After more than five decades of coaching, it's hard for anything to truly impress Rick Pitino. But after notching his biggest regular-season win since taking over at St. John's, the Hall of Fame coach had a strong proclamation about this Red Storm team.

«This is the best group of people, character-wise, that I've coached,» Pitino said. «In my 52 years. There's not one guy that doesn't give me everything.»

No. 22 St. John's landed its first marquee win of the season Friday night, knocking off No. 3 UConn 81-72 to snap the Huskies' 18-game winning streak in front of an electric crowd at Madison Square Garden. It was Pitino's first win over a top-five team since Feb. 1, 2016, according to ESPN Research, and means he has now guided five different programs to top-10 wins, becoming only the second coach to ever hit that mark.

The victory also tied Pitino with Roy Williams for third place in Division I history with 903 career wins.

«As hard as a game as we've had to play this year,» UConn coach Dan Hurley said.

St. John's strategy was apparent from the opening few minutes. After UConn big man Tarris Reed Jr. went to the bench with a six-point lead six minutes into the game, the Red Storm were finally able to find an offensive rhythm through Big East Preseason Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor. Ejiofor immediately scored his first basket, went to the free throw line on the next possession, then assisted a Joson Sanon 3 to cap a 7-0 run that took less than one minute and gave the Red Storm the lead.

UConn would regain the lead just three times the rest of the game and never by more than two points.

The Red Storm have leaned more and more into a toughness and physicality identity as the season has progressed, and Friday