STORRS – The pressure from No. 12 St. John’s and its fourth-ranked defense was too much for the UConn men’s basketball team as it turned the ball over 22 times in a 68-62 loss at Gampel Pavilion Friday night.
The St. John’s basketball team is on the rise again after a perfect week that saw the Johnnies (21-3, 12-1 Big East) defeat two ranked teams and make a major statement on the national stage.
Rick Pitino’s squad jumped from No. 12 to No. 9, marking the highest AP Poll ranking for the program since the final poll of the 1999-2000 season. The Red Storm have already matched their best victory total in the past 25 years and it’s only Feb. 8.
First place in the conference? St. John’s hasn’t won any part of the Big East season title since 1992. The Red Storm have averaged 11.9 league defeats over the past nine years. So far this season, they have one. By one point.
Vernon McKenzie: PureSportsNY
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