Zuby Ejiofor waved his hands above his head, imploring the St. John’s fans to get louder.
Booming “Let’s go, Johnnies” chants followed into the timeout.
The large Connecticut contingent had gone quiet.
The Red Storm weren’t just going to repeat as Big East Tournament champions for the first time in program history.
They were doing it going away, treating the Huskies like they didn’t belong on the same court.
There was still 3:26 left on the clock, but that didn’t matter.
It was a formality by now, the lead up to 20. St. John’s slapped away the Huskies’ second-half push, and blitzed them when it was winning time.
Soon, confetti would be falling from the roof, after this 72-52 beatdown at a sold-out Garden.
Ejiofor’s final college game at MSG was going to end in a dream-like fashion, the entire building chanting “Zuuuuby,” as he exited the game for the final time.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
When Connecticut had gotten within seven, Ejiofor refused to let the game get away.
He hit a 3-pointer, scored in the lane, blocked a shot that led to a Dillon Mitchell windmill jam.
St. John’s put it away late with a 13-0 run, led by Dylan Darling, the little point guard from Idaho State finding his game at just the right time.
It was only a few weeks ago that St. John’s was humbled, beaten by 32 points by these same Huskies in Hartford, Conn.
The Johnnies responded like a champion, winning six straight since then.
Saturday night they got revenge, making Connecticut tap in the building their fans like to call “Storrs South,” holding them without a point over the span of 6:48.
Ejiofor turned in a masterpiece: 18 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks and three steals.
Bryce Hopkins followed with 18 points and Oziyah Sellers had 14.
Mitchell chipped in nine points and nine rebounds.
UConn, held to 34 percent shooting and 3-for-18 from 3-point range, was led by Tarris Reed Jr.’s 17 points.
Coach Rick Pitino couldn’t have scripted a better first 8:27.
St. John’s scored the game’s first 10 points and led by 14 at that point.
The Red Storm (28-6) started by making 13 of their first 18 shots.
Connecticut had committed as many turnovers (five) as St. John’s missed shots and UConn’s Dan Hurley was whistled for a technical foul for arguing a non-call.
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The Red Storm portion of the sold-out crowd exploded when Mitchell threw down an alley-oop in transition, pushing the lead to 17.
It was 13 at the break, as St. John’s shot 50 percent from the field and turned 11 Huskies turnovers into 15 points.
The big three of Ejiofor, Mitchell and Hopkins combined for 25 points and 12 rebounds in the opening half.
UConn, meanwhile, was cold, shooting 2-for-8 from 3-point range and 36 percent from the field.
But the Huskies put together a 7-0 run early in the second half, and suddenly an 18-point lead was quickly down to 11.
It ballooned to a 13-2 burst after consecutive Reed baskets inside, and St. John’s lead was just seven with 12:24 to go.
The Red Storm had missed six of seven shots, and were struggling to get quality looks.
Over the span of the run, 6:03, the Johnnies managed just a Hopkins follow-up after an offensive rebound.
Out of a timeout, Hopkins hit a left elbow jumper.
Then Ejiofor sank a 3-pointer. Order was restored.
When Ejiofor blocked a Silas Demary Jr. drive, leading to Mitchell’s windmill slam, it was a 13-point game again.
St. John’s wasn’t going to be denied.
Not at the Garden.
Not in Ejiofor’s last college game here.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
