NEW YORK (AP) — Zuby Ejiofor had seven blocks, nine rebounds and three steals to anchor a tenacious defensive performance that carried No. 13 St. John's to its second straight Big East Tournament championship Saturday night with a 72-52 blowout of sixth-ranked UConn at Madison Square Garden.

Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins each scored 18 points for the top-seeded Red Storm (28-6), who became the first team to win consecutive Big East Tournament titles since Villanova took three in a row from 2017-19.

Adding to their resurgent rise under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, the Johnnies joined UConn in 1998 and '99 as the only Big East programs to win both the regular-season and tournament crowns in back-to-back years.

Oziyah Sellers scored 14 points for St. John's, which opened a 17-point cushion in the first half and took two of three meetings this season between the conference powerhouses.

The second-seeded Huskies (29-5) were held nine points below their previous season low.

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