St John's misses final 24 FGs in UConn's 32-point rout

St John's misses final 24 FGs in UConn's 32-point rout originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Rick Pitino might have a thing or two to tell his team on Wednesday night. 

The St John's coach witnessed a terrible second half, which included his team missing the final 24 shots from the field in a 72-40 blowout by No. 6 UConn. It was the worst shooting performance in a game by a ranked team in eight seasons, according to ESPN insights. They also missed 12 consecutive shots in the first half.

The Huskies (26-3) took a 41-26 halftime lead and didn't let up off the gas in the second half. Tarris Reed Jr. had 20 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in the contest.

The 15th-ranked Red Storm (22-6) was held to just 11-56 (20 %) shooting on the night. The last field goal came with 17:28 left on a layup by Zuby Ejiofor. Joson Sanon was the only St. John's player in double figures with 10 points all in the first half.  

Before the game, Pitino and his team were riding a 13-game winning streak. However, this was a far cry from the 81-72 win over UConn at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 6. 

More:Rick Pitino's 'boomer hot take' about his St John's players didn't land well

This was the largest defeat by a Pitino-led St. John's squad during his tenure. It was also their fewest points in a game since a 66-40 loss at Notre Dame in March 2013.

As for the starting five, UConn outscored the Red Storm 61-28. One night to forget but likely will be front and center come tournament selection time. 

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