Nineteen days ago, as St. John’s was wrapping up an impressive victory over Marquette, its giddy fans began a chant.
“We Want UConn!” they roared. “We Want UConn!”
The reaction by some on social media: Are you sure about that?
The Huskies were still the two-time defending national champions, and were getting star freshman Liam McNeeley back from an ankle injury.
Two matchups later, the 10th-ranked Johnnies gave their fans even more reasons to puff out their chest.
After Sunday’s 89-75 beatdown at a sold-out Garden, St. John’s has swept its rival for the first time since 1999-2000 and inched closer to the program’s first outright Big East regular season crown since 1985. With a win Wednesday at Butler, the Red Storm can clinch a share of the title.
Outside of a brief stretch in the second half when the Huskies got hot from 3-point range, this meeting wasn’t nearly as close as the first encounter, a six-point St. John’s win in Storrs, Conn.
After that win, coach Rick Pitino felt his team played poorly, the worst performance in its then-10-game winning streak.
It was significantly better on Sunday.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST BIG EAST STANDINGS AND ST. JOHN’S STATS
All five starters scored in double figures, led by 18 points apiece from Kadary Richmond (four assists, two blocks, two steals) and Zuby Ejiofor (nine rebounds, six assists), and St. John’s (24-4, 15-2) shot better than 40 percent from 3 for the second straight game.
A question-mark to play, RJ Luis started and had 14 points, and Deivon Smith tallied 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
UConn committed 18 turnovers leading to 24 St. John’s points and turned it over 40 in two games against the Johnnies. McNeeley made just 2 of 13 shots from the field and sophomore star Solo Ball wasn’t much better, going 5 of 13.
Pitino couldn’t have scripted a better opening 20 minutes. St. John’s hit 8 of 16 3-point attempts, it was nearly perfect at the free-throw line and forced nine UConn turnovers. It took command with a 16-2 run and went into the break up big, 50-32.
Connecticut had a whopping six chances on its final chances of regulation, but came up empty. There was also an eight-point possession for the Johnnies: A Scott 3-pointer, two Ejiofor free throws following a Samson Johnson flagrant foul and a Luis triple. It was that kind of half for St. John’s.
It started the second half well, scoring the game’s first four points to build a 22-point edge. UConn didn’t fold. It got hot from deep, and ripped off a 13-5 run. When Alex Karban sank a deep 3-pointer, the lead was nine. There was still 12:36 remaining and the pro-Connecticut fans were being heard.
But then Richmond scored on consecutive mid-range jumpers and Simeon Wilcher drilled a pull-up. The lead was back to 16 and the party was on.
