2010 Big East Basketball Tournament: St. John's vs Connecticut

Entering Tuesday’s first round match-up with St. John’s, the University of Connecticut had not won a Big East Tournament game since the 2005 event.

After an uninspired, lackluster performance in the tournament’s 12-13 game, Connecticut still has not won a Big East Tournament game since the 2005 edition of this hoops showcase in New York.

Sean Evans scored 19 points and pulled in 10 rebounds, while Paris Horne and Justin Brownlee both added 13, as St. John’s (17-14) demolished Connecticut by 22 points, terminating a nine-game losing streak at the hands of the traditional Big East power and effectively ending the Huskies’ chances for an NCAA tournament bid. This unexpected blowout etched another negative notch in the belt of a UConn team that advanced to the Final Four a season ago. Kemba Walker led Connecticut with 12 points.

The first half was dominated by the Red Storm, despite the fact that the 13th seed held only a 22-16 lead midway through the opening half. It was in the final minutes of the half when St. John’s pulled away, gaining a comfortable lead that would not be surrendered for the remainder of the contest. Connecticut was offered an opportunity to keep the game close late in the half when SJU's Justin Burrell was whistled for a technical foul while arguing a personal foul call with under a minute to go. However, the opportunity was squandered when the Huskies converted only one of the two free throws and failed to score on the ensuing possession. A flat and soulless UConn club went to the half trailing, 35-22.

In the second half, Connecticut would not mount a serious challenge, getting only as close as seven points at the 14-minute mark before allowing the Red Storm to dominate the action in every facet of the game. Turnovers plagued the Huskies throughout all 40 minutes; the student-athletes from Storrs committed 20 turnovers in various forms before the final merciful horn sounded. In the final minutes, the Red Storm hammered the Huskies into submission, finalizing the resounding 22-point victory with plenty of icing on the proverbial cake.

After seemingly playing themselves into position to earn a berth into the Big Dance, the Huskies allowed the opportunity to slip through their collective fingers in less than a week. The Huskies dropped the last three games of the regular season - to Louisville, Notre Dame, and South Florida - before this loss to St. John’s, seemingly driving the final nail into their NCAA coffin. Much has been made of the loss of head coach Jim Calhoun for multiple games due to health concerns, but the fact remains that this year’s Connecticut squad has been mired in inconsistency and mediocrity no matter who was roaming the sidelines. With Connecticut’s tournament bubble now busted, the remaining teams around the country looking for a break have already let out a single sigh of relief.

St. John’s advances its record to 17-14 win the victory, while Connecticut falls to 17-15.

WHAT’S NEXT

The recipe for making the NCAA tournament for St. John’s can be described as follows: win the Big East championship and earn the league’s bid as champion. With little chance for an at-large bid, the Red Storm is likely to be relegated to the NIT. For now, the Johnnies' dreams are still alive in the Big East Tournament as they advance to the second round to take on fifth-seeded Marquette. The St. John’s-Marquette tilt tips off on Wednesday at roughly 2:30 p.m., with television coverage provided by ESPN.

BIG EAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

WHAT’S NEXT