NEW YORK (Interstat) — Saint John’s used a commanding first half to defeat Connecticut 72-52 in a Big East men’s basketball game Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

The Red Storm built a 40-27 halftime lead and maintained control throughout before a crowd of 19,812. Zuby Ejiofor led Saint John’s with 18 points and seven blocked shots. Bryce Hopkins added 18 points and Oziyah Sellers scored 14 off the bench for the Red Storm, who improved to 28-6.

Tarris Reed scored 17 points for the Huskies, who fell to 29-5. Connecticut shot poorly from the floor and never recovered from the early deficit. The teams split their regular-season series, with each winning on its home court.