In a stunning turn of events, No. 15 St.
John's faced a historic defeat against No. 6 UConn, falling 72-40 in what became one of the most lopsided losses of Rick Pitino's storied coaching career.
The Red Storm struggled mightily, going the final 17:28 without sinking a single field goal, culminating in their lowest scoring output since 2013. During that painful stretch, they missed 24 consecutive shots and managed just 14 points in the second half after trailing 41-26 at halftime.
St. John's shot an abysmal 6 of 36 (16.7%) on 2-point attempts, marking the worst field goal percentage by a top-15 team in the last two decades. The 40 points were the fewest ever scored by a Pitino-led team, breaking his previous low of 43 points set back in 1981 against UCLA while coaching Boston University.
Pitino took full responsibility for the performance, stating, "It's all on me. I'm very disappointed in our performance offensively, especially.
Sharing the ball, moving the ball. It's all on me.
But we will get ready for Villanova. We are still playing for a league championship.
Doesn't matter whether you lose by 1 or 40, league championship is still at stake. Obviously, we have to make our corrections and move on."
Despite skipping the usual post-game press conference, Pitino addressed a small group of reporters briefly, reinforcing his commitment to making necessary adjustments and moving forward.
Before this setback, St. John's was riding high, boasting a 13-game winning streak and leading the Big East standings with a 15-1 record. Their only other conference loss was to Providence at home.
When asked about the impact of the UConn crowd, Pitino remarked, "I don't know what it is. All I know is we didn't play good offense.
We did things we have never done. And again, that's something I got to question about myself and I will question it because the team did not do the things we have done in the last 13 games.
Give them the credit. We will move on and get ready for Villanova."
Looking ahead, St. John's has a chance to secure at least a share of the Big East regular season title for the second straight year under Pitino if they can win their final games against Villanova, Georgetown, and Seton Hall.