St. John’s to Host No. 18/23 UConn at Madison Square Garden

QUEENS, N.Y. – Aiming for its third-straight victory at Madison Square Garden, the St. John's men's basketball team returns to action inside "The World's Most Famous Arena" on Saturday when the Johnnies host No. 18/23 UConn. CBS will carry the national telecast at 12 p.m. with Ian Eagle and Clark Kellogg on the call from The Garden.

An audio broadcast of the game on the LEARFIELD Red Storm Sports Network with John Minko and Brandon Tierney will also be available on a variety of platforms including the Varsity Network App, TuneIn Radio, RedStormSports.com and the St. John's Red Storm mobile app. St. John's radio broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 381 and channel 971 on the SiriusXM app.

Prior to the showdown with the Huskies, St. John's will honor Joel Soriano, Esahia Nyiwe, Montez Mathis and team managers in a Senior Day ceremony beginning at 11:30 a.m. At halftime, Senior Day festivities continue with recognition of seniors from the St. John's band, cheer and dance teams.

On Saturday, St. John's (17-12, 7-11 BIG EAST) looks for its fourth win in five games after most recently earning a 79-70 victory at Georgetown on Wednesday. The Johnnies forced the Hoyas into 20 turnovers, the most since forcing 21 in a win over then-No. 6/7 UConn on Jan. 15, and scored 54 points in the paint. Joel Soriano led St. John's with 16 points, shooting 7-for-9 from the field, while David Jones (14 points, 12 rebounds) recorded his second double-double in the last three games.

The Johnnies enter the matchup with UConn standing 2-1 on their home court at Madison Square Garden this season. In its last contest at The Garden on Feb. 11, St. John's rallied for a 73-68 victory over No. 18/23 Providence. Jones led five Johnnies in double-figures, as the junior wing scored 16 points to go with seven rebounds against the Friars. Jones has averaged a team-best 16.5 points in the Red Storm's wins at MSG this year.

St. John's also looks for its third victory in the last five opportunities against ranked opponents when the No. 18/23 Huskies visit Madison Square Garden on Saturday. The Johnnies own a 37-30 advantage in the series with UConn that dates back to 1951. In the first meeting this season at the XL Center in Hartford, St. John's came away with an 85-74 victory with six Red Storm players scoring double-figures, including a 14-point effort from Posh Alexander and Soriano's 19-point, 14-rebound double-double.

UConn (21-7, 10-7 BIG EAST) enters Saturday's matchup having won five of its last six contests. The Huskies are coming off an 87-69 victory over Providence on Wednesday in Storrs. Jordan Hawkins scored a game-high 20 points, shooting 7-for-14 from the field with three 3-pointers. In BIG EAST action, Hawkins has posted a team-best 17.4 points and 2.8 triples per contest.

The Huskies are also led by junior forward Adama Sanogo who has averaged 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest. As a team, UConn ranks among the nation's best in rebounding, boasting a +9.2 margin on the glass while pulling down 13.4 offensive rebounds per contest.

After Saturday's matchup with UConn, the Red Storm travels to No. 10/9 Marquette for the regular season finale. The Johnnies and Golden Eagles square off at 2 p.m. ET on FOX.

St. John’s to Host No. 18/23 UConn at Madison Square Garden

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Players Mentioned

Posh Alexander

David Jones

Montez Mathis

Esahia Nyiwe

Joel Soriano

St. John's University Athletics