Dec. 31, 2011

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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - St. John's had four players in double-figures and committed just seven turnovers, but was held to 36.2 percent (21-of-58) shooting and lost for the first time in four games as No. 9/9 Connecticut shot 60.4 percent (29-of-48) to win its seventh-straight contest, 83-69.

D'Angelo Harrison had a team-high 17 points, while God'sgift Achiuwa and Moe Harkless chipped in with 16 apiece to pace St. John's (7-6, 1-1). Sir'Dominic Pointer added a career-high 14 points and tied a career-high with eight rebounds for the Red Storm, which forced 15 turnovers and was outrebounded by just four (32-28) against a UConn squad that ranks third in the BIG EAST in rebounding margin.

"We have gotten better since the Kentucky game (Dec. 1), but clearly we have several steps to take," said assistant coach Mike Dunlap. "I thought our fitness helped us get to the rim and the free throw line in the second half, which was encouraging. We kept coming at them."

Shabazz Napier had 17 points and nine assists to lead Connecticut (12-1, 2-0), while Andre Drummond finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Both teams were led by assistant coaches as Steve Lavin continues to recover from successful prostate cancer surgery in October and Jim Calhoun served the second of a three-game suspension for NCAA violations.

UConn made its first six field goals in the second half, capped by a Lamb trey that turned into a four-point play as the Huskies jumped out to a 52-35 lead with 15:29 remaining. The Huskies eventually led by as many as 23 points, 70-47, before Harrison and Achiuwa combined to lead St. John's on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 70-56 with 5:20 left. The run eventually extended into a 14-2 spurt as the Red Storm closed to within 72-61 with 2:48 to play.

A Niels Giffey trey helped the Huskies jump out to an early 10-point lead, 18-8, at the 11:17 mark, but St. John's quickly countered with a Pointer 3-pointer and an Achiuwa dunk cutting the deficit to five, 18-13. A pair of Jeremy Lamb 3s, however, helped extend the lead back to double-figures and a Drummond jumper gave the Huskies its largest lead of the first half, 35-21, with 4:11 to play. Entering the game averaging six 3s a game, UConn had five in the first half to take a 38-25 lead into halftime.

The Red Storm had won two-straight against UConn, a regular season meeting last year and a postseason win in the 2010 Big East Tournament.

St. John's returns home to The Garden to host Louisville at 7 p.m. on Jan. 3 in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPNU.