UConn Defeats St. John’s At MSG; Marquette, Xavier Also Grab Road Wins - Big East Conference Skip To Main Content

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UConn Defeats St. John’s At MSG; Marquette, Xavier Also Grab Road Wins

MBB Minute – All three road teams were victorious on Saturday with St. John’s, Marquette and Xavier enjoying their trips back to campus. No. 1 Connecticut used a strong second half to knock off St. John’s. Marquette took advantage of some ace sharpshooting in a win at Georgetown. Xavier was in control most of the way in its victory at DePaul.
 
In front of a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden, UConn won its 10th straight game, a 77-74 decision over St. John’s. The Huskies’ Cam Spencer led all scorers with 23 points, which included 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Stephon Castle notched a collegiate-high 21 points. Tristen Newton delivered his customary all-around game with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Daniss Jenkins led St. John’s (13-9, 5-6) with 19 points and six assists. UConn’s win streak is its first double-digit winning streak in league play since 2008-09. 
 
No. 9 Marquette opened its game at Georgetown with a 16-7 spurt and added a 19-2 run to gain a 44-22 lead and an eventual 91-57 victory. Kam Jones returned from an ankle injury to score a career-high 31 points for the Golden Eagles (17-5, 8-3), who have a six-game winning streak. Tyler Kolek contributed 17 points and eight assists. The Hoyas (8-13, 1-9) got double-figure scoring support from reserves Rowan Brumbaugh (12 points) and Drew Fielder (11).
 
Quincy Olivari gave Xavier a career-high 43-point performance in a 93-68 win at DePaul. It’s the highest point total in a BIG EAST game since DePaul’s Max Strus had 43 against St. John’s on March 3, 2019. The Musketeers (12-10, 6-5) led 47-33 at halftime and the Blue Demons (3-19, 0-11) were unable to make a serious run in the second half. Olivari, who also had 10 rebounds, scored 25 points in the second half. Jaden Henley led three DePaul players in double figures with 17 points.
 
The lone game on Sunday’s schedule is Providence meeting Villanova at Wells Fargo Center at 6 p.m. ET on FS1. The Friars (14-7, 5-5) lost at UConn 74-65 on Wednesday. The Wildcats (11-10, 4-6) are aiming to end a five-game losing streak. PC won both meetings last year. It was their first sweep of the Wildcats since 2012-13. Villanova has won 18 of the last 24 meetings.