3 takeaways from St. John's big win over Connecticut
St. John's Zuby Ejiofor smiles after defeating UConn in an NCAA college basketball game on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. Credit: AP/John Munson
St. John’s earned its most significant win of the season to date and arguably the biggest victory in Rick Pitino’s three seasons with the Red Storm on Friday night. Zuby Ejiofor was the brightest in an array of stars as the 22nd-ranked Red Storm posted an 81-72 Big East win over No. 3 Connecticut before a raucous and engaged sellout crowd of 19,812 at the Garden.
St. John’s (18-5, 11-1) extended its winning streak to nine games and put an end to an 18-game winning streak by the Huskies (22-2, 12-1). Until Friday night, UConn had lost only to No. 1 Arizona. It also gave Pitino career win No. 903, tying him for third place with Roy Williams on the all-time list. Pitino can break the tie on Monday by beating Xavier and coach Richard Pitino, his son.
“As hard a game as we’ve had to play all year,” Huskies coach Dan Hurley said. “Credit St. John’s . . . They’re built for Big East games.”
“I use the expression ‘no fear of failure’ [and] I said it every single time out,” Pitino said. “I said, ‘Whether we go up 12 [or] they cut it to two, we have no fear. We’re going to win this game’ . . . We were honed in. Every single play was honed in. They did a fabulous job of doing things down the stretch to help you win.”
There were a plethora of things to take away from this victory. Here are three big ones:
1. In finally winning a huge game, St. John’s has made many things possible
The Red Storm added a signature win to their NCAA Tournament resume after failing to land wins the selection committee would take note of against Alabama, Iowa State, Auburn and Kentucky. Before Friday night, St. John’s best win was the road victory over unranked Villanova, and it looked as if it might not be able to get better than a No. 5 seeding in the 68-team draw. Now drawing a No. 4 or better is completely feasible.
St. John’s also pulled even in the loss column with the Huskies in the race for the Big East regular-season title. Repeating as champs was a stated goal since before the season.
The pressure, however, is on now. The Red Storm cannot afford a stumble like the Jan. 3 loss to last-place Providence as it plays its final eight conference games. They can raise the ceiling on this season even further by winning the rematch with the Huskies on Feb. 26 in Hartford.
2. Ejiofor is clear front-runner to be named Big East Player of the Year
The St. John’s star was tabbed in a preseason poll of coaches as the preseason Player of the Year, and he is living up to the billing.
He is the same reliable scorer and rebounder he was as a first-team selection last season, and he has become the team’s top assist man and an exceptional defender with a penchant for blocking shots.
UConn has three candidates to be named the Big East’s top player in Silas Demary Jr., Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. Ejiofor was better than all of them Friday night as he delivered an excellent line: 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three blocked shots and two steals. It was his fourth game with at least 20 points and at least 10 rebounds.
In conference play, he is averaging 17.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks.
During the postgame news conference, Pitino turned to him and said, “You’re going to make me retire, because I’m not living life without you.”
Last year, RJ Luis became St. John’s first conference player of the year in 39 seasons. If Ejiofor earns the award, it will be the first time St. John’s has gone back-to-back since it won four straight from 1983-86 (Chris Mullin three times and Walter Berry in 1986).
3. Dylan Darling is ready to be difference-maker
The Red Storm’s backup point guard was essential in getting this victory. Darling has developed into someone whom Pitino likes to rely on late in games and whose game finally has adjusted to the rigors of this level of play after his transfer from mid-major Idaho State.
Darling had nine points, two assists and a critical steal and took a charging foul in 16 minutes of play in the second half. His three-pointer with 3:13 remaining gave St. John’s a 72-67 lead.
“It’s a tough adjustment going from where he was to this level; it takes time,” Pitino said.
“Dylan’s level of wanting to take over a game is amazing to me. It’s really amazing what he’s doing right now.”
Darling had some good early moments, including a 17-point showing in the conference-opening win over DePaul, but he didn’t even get into the win at Butler. Now he has hit the go-ahead three-pointer in the win at Xavier and contributed this performance, too.
“He’s a great point guard,” Hurley said. “That guy is a heck of a player. When they needed that guy to step up, he made a huge difference in that game . . . [He] doesn’t need to score, but he does all the things that Pitino loves. Dylan Darling flipped this game on its head.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
