Notes & Quotes: UConn overwhelms St. John's

NEW YORK CITY — A lot of things went right for St. John’s on Friday night.

The Red Storm got UConn bigs Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson into foul trouble, with both getting two early fouls and playing just 15 minutes combined in the first half. Clingan got his third in the first minute of the second half.

Johnnies’ star guard Daniss Jenkins scored 10 points in the first four minutes as he began 5-of-7 from the field. They started the game with a 7-0 lead and Steph Castle, an elite perimeter defender, was also in foul trouble, sitting for the final 12 minutes of the first half.

If you want to beat these UConn Huskies (30-3), that’s the way to do it. Rick Pitino’s squad fought hard in the second half, finishing with 90 points, the highest total by a Husky opponent all season. They chipped away at a lead as big as 14 points, bringing it down to six in the final minutes.

But UConn shot 63 percent in a first half where it led by as much as 10. Hassan Diarra, Johnson, and Jaylin Stewart provided a spark off the bench while Tristen Newton continued powering the engine with 20 points in the first half alone on his way to a team-high 25.

To finish the game strong, Johnson scored all six of his points in the second half, throwing down two nice alley-oops to get the crowd going. Karaban came alive in the second half as well, scoring nine of his 14 points in the final 20 minutes.

Oh yeah, Cam Spencer also scored 20. He and Newton had nine assists each.

“We showed that we can win any type of game,” Hurley said.

That’s what Dan Hurley’s Huskies do. They overwhelm their opponents. They have five future pros in the starting lineup and they don’t let up when they go to the bench. St. John’s and Xavier are the latest victims. Seton Hall, Villanova, and Marquette all lost to UConn by 24 or more points in February or March.

“They do it all the time,” Pitino said. “You think you’re in the game. You’re up one to two at halftime, ten-minute mark, you’re only down four or six… and they win by 25, happens all the time.”

UConn now looks ahead to the Big East championship game, a first in the Dan Hurley era in a year where many “firsts” are occurring and records are being set. A third meeting with Marquette awaits.

“We’re going to treat it like it’s the Super Bowl,” Hurley said.

Here’s a closer look at Friday night’s performance:

What Went Well

Shooting. Despite a rough rebounding and defensive performance, UConn persevered thanks to a lights-out 63 percent shooting performance in the second half. In consecutive halves, going back to the St. John’s game’s second half and this first half, UConn shot 22-of-28 (79%) and 17-of-27 (63%). That’s a 69.6 percent shooting percentage in a full game’s time. Ball movement has also been key to getting these great looks. In the last two games, the Huskies notched an assist on 29-of-35 (83%) and 23-of-31 (74%) made baskets.

Karaban: We continue to move the ball, and continue to pass up good shots for great shots.

Pitino: The biggest problem was our transition defense, they were 8-of-9 in the first half.

Backcourt Excellence. Teams with great guards win in March and UConn has them. Spencer and Newton each scored 20+ points, for the eighth and seventh times this season, respectively, and both had nine assists. Their consistent effort and excellence will ensure UConn stays strong in any situation. Spencer has set a career-high for assists in consecutive games.

Karaban: [Newton is the] best point guard in the country. No other guard can rebound like him. No other guard wants to create a shot for himself but is also super unselfish… he’s a special player and he’s trying to do everything it takes to win a championship.

Pitino: Spencer does everything that you need to win.

Bench Strength. While Diarra and Johnson have been mainstays in the rotation, Jaylin Stewart entered the game for an extended period in the first half, due to foul trouble with the bigs, and quickly made an impact. He was flying around on both sides and facilitating the transition attack, with some nice finishes in transition as well.

Hurley: He had a great night, he helped us big-time in the first half.

Karaban: He was the reason why we won this game. Without him, that boost in the first half, we really don’t get that lead. Just the key plays he made besides the baskets, the rebounds, the blocks, just being in the correct spot defensively. He was so special out there. I hope this is a confidence boost for him.

No Food or Drink, No Problem. Samson Johnson, Hassan Diarra, and Youssouf Singare are fasting for Ramadan. On Friday night, their fast ended during the game, so they had some Gatorade and snacks on the bench. Johnson and Diarra have had a great two-game run playing while fasting. Diarra scored 10 on Friday night.

What Needs Work

Slow Starts. UConn has proven it can overcome a lot, including a slow start. In the last three games, going back to the regular-season finale at Providence, the Huskies have fallen into 15-2, 10-0, and 7-0 holes. Obviously, this is not a good habit.

Hurley: Jenkins is a heck of a player. Dingle is a heck of a player.

Defense. In the post-game press conference, Hurley said the defense let the team down and the UConn players on the dais nodded in agreement. Jenkins scored 27 after his hot start while Jordan Dingle added 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Steph Castle was also in foul trouble, sitting the final 12 minutes of the first half with two fouls.

Hurley: [Pitino] shifted to more of an offensive attack. They’re hard to guard.

Bigs on the Bench. To state the obvious, UConn would prefer to have at least one of Donovan Clingan or Samson Johnson available. It’s not a coincidence that St. John’s pulled down 17 offensive rebounds and won the rebounding battle in this game. That was just the third time all season UConn has been outrebounded. If something like this happens again in March it could spell trouble.

Hurley: We were in foul trouble, and it hurt our defense.

Misc. Notes

Earlier in the day, the Big East announced that its men’s basketball tournament will be played at Madison Square Garden until 2032. … This was UConn’s third game with multiple 20-point scorers. … Donovan Clingan has blocked a shot in all 28 of his appearances. … UConn is 34-37 all-time against St. John’s. … This was the Huskies’ first win over St. John’s in the Big East Tournament since the 1999 championship game. … UConn has moved up to No. 1 in offensive efficiency in the nation. … The Huskies are going for their first conference tournament championship since 2016 and their first Big East Tournament crown since 2011.

Up Next

UConn and Marquette in the Big East Tournament final, 6:30 p.m. on FOX.

The Golden Eagles are 25-8 after a win over Providence in the night’s second semifinal. Shaka Smart’s squad led by as much as 17 before the Friars roared back, getting within two points with 3:39 left. MU ended the game on an 11-2 run to close it out.