There’s a New Sheriff in the Big East. Rick Pitino and St. John’s stormed into Gampel Pavilion and left no doubt—this is their conference now. The Red Storm walked into Connecticut, stared down the two-time defending national champs, and walked out with a 68-62 statement win.

This was not luck. This was not a fluke. This was a team that had the plan, had the toughness, and had the answers.

UConn jumped out early, feeding off the home crowd, stretching a lead to 14 points. But St. John’s never blinked. They just dug in, turned up the defense, and started carving UConn up with mid-range jumpers.

Rick Pitino has been preaching the lost art of the mid-range game all year. Three-pointers are flashy. Layups are easy. But the mid-range? That’s where champions are made. UConn learned that lesson the hard way.

RJ Luis Jr. is the guy you call when you need a bucket. He was unstoppable, pouring in 21 points and 7 rebounds. But the moment of the night? The dagger jumper with 10.1 seconds left.

Gampel Pavilion, once deafening, went silent. UConn had cut the lead to two. The pressure was at its highest. But Luis wasn’t sweating it. He rose up from the right baseline, pulled up, and let it fly. The net snapped. Game over.

This wasn’t just a win. This was a shift in power.

For years, UConn has bullied the Big East. They controlled the tempo, dictated the terms. Not this time. St. John’s turned them over 22 times. Read that again—22 times.

They were in passing lanes. They were stripping balls. They were making life miserable for the Huskies. Every possession felt like a fight. UConn scored just two points off turnovers. St. John’s? Eighteen.

That’s the difference between a tough team and a team that thinks they’re tough.

Rick Pitino said it before: This team is built differently. This isn’t about one guy. This is about a system. The Red Storm owned the paint, they frustrated UConn’s shooters, and when it mattered most, they made the right play.

Kadary Richmond controlled the tempo, stuffing the stat sheet with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Zuby Ejiofor brought the muscle, battling inside for rebounds and protecting the rim.

And when the game got tight, when UConn tried to make one last push, St. John’s didn’t fold. They tightened up, locked in, and closed the game like a team that expects to win.

The Big East isn’t just about UConn anymore. It’s not just about Villanova or Creighton.

St. John’s is 12-1 in the conference. They’ve won 10 straight games. They went into the toughest house in the league and took what they wanted.

This team is for real. And they just let the whole country know—there’s a new sheriff in town.