No. 12 St. John's secured a thrilling 68-62 comeback victory over No. 19 UConn, extending their winning streak to an impressive 10 games. RJ Luis Jr. was instrumental in the victory, contributing 21 points, with six crucial points coming in the final 2:16 of the game. Kadary Richmond also shone in the second half, scoring all 13 of his points during that period, while Simeon Wilcher added 12 points for St. John's.
UConn, led by Liam McNeeley's 18 points, put up a strong fight. Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. also made significant contributions with 13 and 12 points respectively, with Reed Jr. grabbing an impressive 15 rebounds.
Despite UConn's early lead of 21-8, St. John's fought back, with Deivon Smith's four-point play sparking an 8-0 run that helped the Red Storm take the lead for the first time in the game. St. John's went into halftime with a narrow 37-35 lead.
Ben Gordon, a former UConn player and national champion, was honored at halftime, adding to the excitement of the game.
St. John's showcased resilience by overcoming a rough patch where they missed 11 consecutive shots in the second half. The Red Storm capitalized on turnovers, scoring 18 of their 20 points from UConn's mistakes.
A key moment in the game was when Richmond's scoring spree, along with a 6-0 run, helped St. John's take the lead, eventually leading to a 12-0 scoring streak. UConn's Ball and Stewart, who had a strong first half, failed to score in the second half.
Looking ahead, St. John's will face Villanova next, while UConn will take on Creighton in their upcoming games.
Overall, it was a thrilling matchup between two top-ranked teams, with St. John's emerging victorious in a hard-fought contest.
