By Neill Ostrout
STAFF WRITER
NEW YORK _ UConn point guard Kemba Walker called the Huskies’ Big East tournament opener against St. John’s a do-or-die situation.
Well, the Huskies are officially dead now.
Despite facing an opponent it has dominated in recent years, including earlier this season, the free-falling Huskies lost to the Red Storm 73-51 Tuesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
It was the Huskies’ most lopsided loss of the season and their worst defeat in this event since a 93-62 loss to Georgetown in 1985, two seasons before coach Jim Calhoun arrived in Storrs.
After sitting squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble at the end of February, UConn (17-15) has now lost four straight games and is likely headed to the NIT.
No. 13 St. John’s (17-14) advances to play fifth-seeded Marquette in the second round here Wednesday.
Sean Evans led St. John’s with 19 points.
Walker had a team-high 12 for UConn.
UConn’s last loss to St. John’s came here on Feb. 9, 2002. It had won nine consecutive meetings between the schools since then.
The Huskies have lost six straight games in the league tournament, playing just one game in each of the last five years.
The Huskies, who struggled mightily right from the opening tip, were down by as much as 17 points in the first half. A late surge by Walker, who scored the final four points, pulled the Huskies within 13 at the break.
UConn trailed by nine points with eight minutes to play in the game, but 10-0 spurt by the Red Storm quickly put the game out of reach.
Among its other problems, UConn made just 6-of-17 from the free throw line.
Despite saying at first he planned to sit his seniors at the game’s outset, Calhoun stuck with his “usual” starting lineup including Jerome Dyson. However the senior guard did begin the second half on the bench and didn’t re-enter until there was 13:56 left in the game.
Dyson finished the game with four points and nine turnovers.
