EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- After more than five decades of coaching, it's hard for anything to truly impress Rick Pitino. But after notching his biggest regular-season win since taking over at St. John's, the Hall of Fame coach had a strong proclamation about this Red Storm team."This is the best group of people, character-wise, that I've coached," Pitino said. "In my 52 years. There's not one guy that doesn't give me everything."No. 22 St. John's landed its first marquee win of the season Friday night, knocking off No. 3 UConn 81-72 to snap the Huskies' 18-game winning streak in front of an electric crowd at Madison Square Garden. It was Pitino's first win over a top-five team since Feb. 1, 2016, according to ESPN Research, and means he has now guided five different programs to top-10 wins, becoming only the second coach to ever hit that mark.The victory also tied Pitino with Roy Williams for third place in Division I history with 903 career wins."As hard as a game as we've had to play this year," UConn coach Dan Hurley said.St. John's strategy was apparent from the opening few minutes. After UConn big man Tarris Reed Jr. went to the bench with a six-point lead six minutes into the game, the Red Storm were finally able to find an offensive rhythm through Big East Preseason Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor. Ejiofor immediately scored his first basket, went to the free throw line on the next possession, then assisted a Joson Sanon 3 to cap a 7-0 run that took less than one minute and gave the Red Storm the lead.UConn would regain the lead just three times the rest of the game and never by more than two points.The Red Storm have leaned more and more into a toughness and physicality identity as the season has progressed, and Friday night was no different. They consistently looked to overpower UConn in the paint, outscoring the Huskies in that area 42-34. They grabbed nine offensive rebounds and turned them into 16 second-chance points. And they got to the foul line 31 times, compared to the Huskies' 12 free throw attempts.Ejiofor (21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists), Dillon Mitchell (15 points, six rebounds) and Bryce Hopkins (14 points, six rebounds) proved too much for UConn's frontline on the offensive end."They're grown-ass men," Hurley said. "Mitchell, Hopkins and Ejiofor, when you have to play them in Big East games, the way that the game is going to be officiated in conference play, they're built for Big East games."At the other end of the floor, St. John's full-court pressure consistently created issues for UConn. The Huskies turned the ball over 15 times, leading to 20 Red Storm points. UConn had problems all game throwing the ball inbounds, getting awfully close to multiple five-second calls. While Silas Demary Jr. was UConn's best player on the night, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, he also turned the ball over nine times."They probably had 15 times where it could have been a five-second count and we didn't get the call," Pitino said. "But it wears you out. A lot of times, the benefits of the press is physically, they're trying to get open for five seconds, it tires you. And it wears on your rebounding, it wears on your passing."Despite the stellar play of the frontcourt, the unsung hero on the night was former Idaho State transfer Dylan Darling. Darling's role has fluctuated throughout the season, and after a scoreless first half in which he played just five minutes, it didn't appear that Friday was going to be a breakout performance. But the 6-foot-1 backup point guard was a catalyst in the second half, posting nine points, two assists and one steal after halftime.Darling generated momentum early in the second half when he stole the ball from Demary and made two massive baskets later in the half -- including a 3-pointer with 3:13 left that pushed the Red Storm lead to five points."It's a tough adjustment going from where he was to this level. It takes time," Pitino said. "His level of wanting to take over a game is amazing to me. ... It's really amazing what he's doing right now."St. John's has now won nine games in a row after a 9-5 start, and the Red Storm are tied in the loss column with UConn atop the Big East. The rematch is set for Feb. 25 in Hartford, and they're likely on a collision course for a third game in the championship game of the Big East tournament.But on Friday, St. John's protected its home court -- a court sometimes called "Storrs South" for the way UConn fans take over Madison Square Garden when the Huskies are in town. This time, there was no mistaking which fan base had the advantage."The Garden was as good as I've seen it," Pitino said. "I thought it was unbelievable, how good the Garden was. I said 70/30, 60/40 -- that was 90/10. Tremendous crowd."
