St. Joe’s Defeats UConn 72–52 to Win Back-to-Back Big East Championships at Madison Square Garden

(NEW YORK, NY) — The St. Joe’s Red Storm defeated the UConn Huskies 72–52 to win their second consecutive Big East Championship in front of a sellout crowd of 19,812 at Madison Square Garden.

The Red Storm were led by Bryce Hopkins and Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor, who scored 18 points apiece, while Tarris Reed Jr. paced the Huskies with 17 points.

Red Storm Dominates Early and Often

The Red Storm wasted no time setting the tone, opening the game on a 10–0 run sparked by an Ejiofor jumper, an Oziyah Sellers three-pointer, three made free throws, and a jumper from Dylan Darling.

Solo Ball finally put the Huskies on the board with a layup that resulted in a three-point play, cutting the deficit to 10–3 with 15:55 remaining in the first half.

St. Joe’s maintained control throughout the half. An Ejiofor fast-break dunk pushed the Red Storm lead to 32–16 with 8:20 remaining before halftime. They carried that momentum into the break, taking a 40–27 lead.

UConn struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 9-for-25 from the field (36%) and committing 11 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Red Storm shot an efficient 15-for-30 (50%) and converted those turnovers into 15 points.

Second-Half Surge Seals the Title

The Red Storm extended their lead to 18 early in the second half. The Huskies responded with a 9–0 run to cut the deficit to 47–38 before a Hopkins layup halted the momentum.

Reed continued to keep UConn within striking distance, scoring on a layup and a jumper to trim the Red Storm lead to 49–42 — the closest the Huskies would get the rest of the game.

A jumper by Malachi Smith with 8:03 remaining would be UConn’s final field goal, as the Huskies trailed 59–49.

St. Joe’s closed the game emphatically, going on a 13–0 run to shut the door on any UConn comeback and secure the 72–52 championship victory.