UConn Huskies’ defense leads to St. John’s nightmare 17:28 stretch

The No. 6 UConn Huskies pulled off an incredible defensive feat during their matchup against the No. 15 St. John’s Red Storm on Wednesday night.

It was an important duel between Dan Hurley’s Huskies and Rick Pitino’s Red Storm. Both squads manned the top two spots in the Big East standings, emphasizing a serious race for the regular-season title

This matchup would set the tone for who will take control of that situation after Wednesday. And UConn embraced that challenge, dominating St. John’s in a 72-40 blowout win. What stood out from their defensive performance was that they had the Red Storm miss 24 straight shots to end the second half.

That remarkable stretch on defense allowed UConn to achieve a unique feat, per ESPN Insights.

“That is the longest streak of missed FG by an AP-ranked team in the last eight seasons ,” the post read.

St. John's missed 24-straight field goals to end their game vs. UConn, with their last coming at 17:28 in the second half

That is the longest streak of missed FG by an AP-ranked team in the last eight seasons pic.twitter.com/jaZ0r8VoTv

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) February 26, 2026

How UConn played against St. John’s

Dan Hurley and No. 6 UConn got the upper hand over Rick Pitino and No. 15 St. John’s in this game. As a result, the momentum has shifted in the regular-season title race.

The Huskies already took control early on against the Red Storm, leading 41-26 at halftime. It became clearer that the hosts were dominant when their defense exploded with an impressive display of only allowing 14 points in the last 20 minutes of regulation.

Three players scored in double-digits for UConn in the win. Tarris Reed Jr. led the way with a stat line of 20 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks, three assists, and two steals. Alex Karaban came next with 14 points and five rebounds, while Solo Ball provided 11 points and four assists.

UConn improved to a 26-3 overall record on the season, going 16-2 in its Big East matchups so far. They control the top spot in the conference standings, being above the Red Storm and the Villanova Wildcats.

The No. 6 Huskies will look forward to their next matchup, remaining at home. They host the Seton Hall Pirates as tip-off will take place on Feb. 28 at 12 p.m. ET.

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