Tyrese Martin had four of his 11 points in overtime and made the tie-breaking basket as Connecticut controlled the extra period and outlasted St. John’s 86-78 in a Big East game Wednesday night in Storrs, Conn.
Adama Sanogo finished with 26 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks, and R.J. Cole collected 19 points and eight assists for UConn (11-4, 2-2), which won despite squandering an 11-point second-half lead.
Julian Champagnie, who scored a game-high 27 points, hit a contested 3-pointer from the right side with four seconds left in regulation to give St. John’s (9-5, 1-2) a 71-70 lead. But Sanogo made one of two foul shots with 1.3 seconds left after Aaron Wheeler fouled him on a putback attempt.
Wheeler fouled out with 13 points and seven rebounds. He was one of three St. John’s players to foul out.
Martin’s layup off a pass from Andre Jackson with 2:51 left in overtime put UConn ahead to stay, 75-73. Cole and Sanogo also had four points apiece in the extra session. Jackson finished with 11 points.
Posh Alexander had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Red Storm.
In the second half, UConn increased its lead to 60-50 on a 3-pointer by Cole with 6:29 left. The play was set up when Sanogo blocked a shot by Champagnie and ignited a fast break, which saw Martin set up Cole.
The Red Storm answered with a 12-4 run, capped when Champagnie drained a 3-pointer from the left corner. But Sanogo dunked a Martin miss for a 66-62 UConn lead with 3:28 remaining.
A short jumper by Cole put UConn ahead 68-62, but treys by Champagnie and Wheeler sandwiched around an Isaiah Whaley free throw left the Huskies clinging to a 69-68 lead with 1:02 to go.
UConn quickly expanded its 36-31 halftime lead. Sanogo scored off a drive and dish from Jackson, and then he made a mid-range jumper with 15:29 left in the second half for a 48-37 advantage.
Wheeler answered with a fast-break basket on an assist from Dylan Addae-Wusu, but the Huskies responded as Sanogo scored again on a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Cole. That gave UConn a 50-39 lead with 14:55 left in regulation.
–Field Level Media