Recap: St Johns vs. Connecticut

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Jakarr Sampson scored 18 points to lead the St. John's Red Storm to a 71-65 win over the Connecticut Huskies in a Big East showdown at Madison Square Garden.

D'Angelo Harrison and Marco Bourgault netted 11 points apiece for St. John's (15-8, 7-4 Big East) while Phil Greene IV contributed 10 points and six assists. All nine members of the Red Storm who got in the game scored.

Connecticut (15-6, 5-4) was led by Omar Calhoun, who knocked down five triples en route to 21 points. Shabazz Napier, who came off the bench in this one after breaking a team rule earlier in the week, scored 14 points while Deandre Daniels finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Niels Giffey added nine points and 10 boards.

St. John's jumped out to a 31-20 halftime advantage thanks to a 15-3 run midway through the first period. The Red Storm outrebounded UConn, 24-18, and held the Huskies to just 23.5 percent shooting.

Napier dropped all 14 of his points, including a sequence where he knocked down three consecutive outside shots, in the second half to lead the Huskies back. UConn tied the score, 44-44, on a three-point play by Giffey with 9:37 remaining and the Huskies took a lead moments later with two free throws by Ryan Boatright. But the Red Storm regained its composure and scored nine of the next 12 points, including four straight at the line from Sir'Dominic Pointer, to go ahead for good.

St. John's improved to 35-28 all-time over the Huskies.