UConn Advances to Big East Championship Game Against St. John's
The stage is now set for a highly anticipated third meeting between the Connecticut Huskies and St. John's Red Storm in the Big East Championship game. After two dramatically different results during the regular season, these rivals will settle the debate over who truly reigns supreme in the conference at the World's Most Famous Arena.
Red Storm and Huskies Secure Their Spots
St. John's upheld their end of the bargain early Friday evening by defeating rivals Seton Hall, securing a spot in the championship game for the second consecutive season. Connecticut then faced a Georgetown team riding a Cinderella run and hoping for an upset. While not as dominant as their victory over Xavier the previous day, UConn demonstrated clear superiority with a 67-51 win over the Hoyas.
This sets up a winner-take-all Big East Championship game on Saturday night that promises to be a knock-down, drag-out fight, exactly the kind of intense competition that the passionate crowds at Madison Square Garden thrive on.
Mullins Bounces Back for UConn
Following their defeat to Marquette, which cost them a share of the regular season title and saw coach Dan Hurley ejected, Connecticut needed a reset. They found it against Xavier, handling them with relative ease. However, several Huskies players were seeking redemption, particularly freshman Braylon Mullins.
The Indiana native missed the first few games of the season due to injury but quickly adapted to college basketball. Despite a standout performance at Kansas earlier in the season, his Big East play has been inconsistent, showing signs of youthful inexperience. In the loss to Marquette, Mullins shot just 4-for-15 from the field and a disappointing 1-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Against Georgetown, however, Mullins course-corrected impressively. He led the scoring chart with 18 points, setting the tone in the first half by hitting Connecticut's final four shots of the opening frame. His 15 first-half points mostly came from inside the paint, helping the Huskies establish a 32-21 halftime lead.
Georgetown Outmatched in Semifinal
As the game progressed, it became evident that Georgetown did not have the same magic from their previous night's performance. Guards Jeremiah Williams and Kayvaun Mulready struggled with their shooting, while down low, Julius Halaifonua was dominated in the paint by UConn center Tarris Reed.
The final touches on the win were handled by Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr., who was the only other UConn player to reach double digits, though seven Huskies scored in total.
Historic Championship Matchup Approaches
Now, attention turns to Saturday night's championship game. Since Rick Pitino took over at St. John's, the Huskies have won four matchups while the Johnnies have won three. This includes their earlier meeting this year at Madison Square Garden, where the Red Storm overwhelmed Connecticut defensively. UConn counterpunched with what may have been the most lopsided top-25 victory in the country this year when St. John's missed their final 24 shots in Hartford.
Neither of those previous results will matter in this championship matchup. Both teams play elite defense—UConn ranks 11th in KenPom's defensive metric, while St. John's ranks 14th—and both are led by talented big men in Reed and the Johnnies' Zuby Ejiofor.
This will be the third time in history that UConn and St. John's meet in the Big East Championship game. For many Huskies players, this will be their first appearance on this stage.
Players Embrace the Moment
'Coach has just been telling us to play with a lot of joy and passion and kind of just being in the moment and enjoying it and being where our feet are,' Demary said in response to a question from the Daily Mail ahead of his first conference title game appearance. 'I think at times we kind of looked ahead during the season instead of just enjoying and being around each other and enjoying that practice, enjoying that team together. I think sometimes we overlooked it and got lost. And I think over the past couple days, we're just telling each other to have fun and to have joy and have each other's back.'
Mullins concurs, expressing gratitude for the opportunity. 'I think we're all grateful to be going into the Big East championship game. And being a freshman, like, I mean, there's nowhere else I would want to be at.'
In the locker room after the game, UConn senior Alex Karaban admitted to not looking past the Georgetown contest but acknowledged the significance of the upcoming championship. 'This place is gonna be amazing,' Karaban told the Daily Mail. 'This is what we've worked for the entire year... to prepare for winning a championship. It's been our goal since the summer... there's nothing like a Big East Championship.'
Reed, who has been publicly challenged by his coach at times and dominated in the previous matchup against St. John's, is fully focused on the moment. 'You want to be in these big-time games and really win championships,' Reed said in response to the Daily Mail. 'Looking back on my college career, speaking personally, I haven't won any type of championship, so—' It was then that Hurley cut him off with a single, emphatic word: 'Yet.'
