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The win marked St. John's first victory over a top-3 team at MSG since defeating No. 3 Duke on Jan. 30, 2011, and it's the first time St. John's has won three consecutive games against UConn since the 1999-2000 season.

Ejiofor posted his fifth double-double and shot 6 of 10 from the field and often exploited his matchup with UConn's Tarris Reed Jr, helping the Red Storm (17-5, 11-1 Big East) move within a half-game of the first-place Huskies (22-2, 12-1).

Tied at 45 in the second half, the senior center scored seven points in a 15-4 surge and staked the Red Storm to a 60-49 lead with 10:24 remaining.

After that point, St John's fended off UConn's comeback attempt that saw the Huskies cut the lead to 66-65 on a layup by Silas Demary Jr. with 4:46 left and 69-67 on a hoop by Alex Karaban with 3:39 left.

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Following Karaban's basket, Dylan Darling hit a 3 over Solo Ball and Ejiofor went around Reed for another hoop to put St. John's up 74-67 with 2:27 left. The Red Storm finished off their third straight win over UConn by hitting five free throws in the final 57 seconds.

Dillon Mitchell added 15 as the Red Storm outscored the Huskies 42-33 in the final 20 minutes. Bryce Hopkins contributed 14 as the Red Storm shot 50% and gave coach Rick Pitino his 903rd career win to tie Roy Williams for third most all-time.

Demary led the Huskies with 18 points and Karaban added 17 as the duo combined to shoot 14-for-21 from the floor. Reed contributed 12 and Braylon Mullins chipped in 11 as the Huskies lost despite shooting 54.7% and saw their 18-game winning streak come to an end.

The Huskies held a 16-10 lead on a layup by Reed with 13:50 left in the first half before St. John's scored nine straight for a 19-16 edge on a dunk by Oziyah Sellers a little over two minutes later. The Red Storm pushed their lead to 23-17 on two free throws by Ejiofor with 10:10 left and UConn answered back, taking a 26-25 lead on a Mullins' 3 with 7:26 remaining.

After St. John's took a pair of four-point leads, the Huskies forged a 39-39 deadlock by halftime on a drive by Demary with 15 seconds left.

--Field Level Media

But it was the No. 22-ranked Red Storm that emerged as the victor rather than the No. 3-ranked team in theBig East heavyweight matchup.

The Red Storm did so by doing something the Huskies excelled at heading into the game, something that makes them a national championship contender once again: by getting defensive stops down the stretch.

REQUIRED READING:UConn vs. St. John's basketball score, highlights of top 25 game

"I thought The Garden was as good as I've seen it," St. John's coach Rick Pitino said afterthe Red Storm's 81-72 win over the Huskies.

It was an entertaining contest that showed St. John's can go a full 40 minutes and grind out a win against a top-tier team like UConn. It also showed the Huskies are legit contenders once again, seeking a third national title in four years — even if their offense is still a work in progress.

"As hard a game as we've had to play all year," UConn coach Dan Hurley said.

For St. John's, it's the highest-ranked win since 2021 against Villanova, and the highest-ranked win at The Garden for the Red Storm since they took down No. 3 Duke on Jan. 30, 2011. It's also the first three-game winning streak against UConn since the 1999-2000 season, when St. John's swept the regular season series and won the Big East championship game.

3 straight wins over UConn for the Johnnies 👀@StJohnsBBallpic.twitter.com/J8Fso7KY1H

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB)February 7, 2026

The Red Storm's statement win, which puts them within a half-game of first place in the Big East standings, ended an 18-game win streak for the Huskies. It's the first loss for UConn since it fell 71-67 to then-No. 4 Arizona on Nov. 19, and it's just the second overall loss of the year for the Huskies.

"We work too hard to play like that and just lose," UConn forward Alex Karaban said. "We invested too much time to lose, and it's a hard feeling. It's not an easy feeling to sit with right now."

The Red Storm had to fight for their fourth Quad 1 win of the season after an even first half.

That fight began with a 16-6 run to begin the second half to claim a 10-point lead after Bryce Hopkins drilled a 3-pointer at the 13:03 mark. The Huskies allowed the Red Storm to stay in the game — and then grow a double-digit lead — with self-inflicted wounds (like four turnovers in more than six minutes) and by falling into foul trouble.

B HOP TRIPLE10-0 run for the Johnnies‼️pic.twitter.com/xYYiPiSwYP

— St. John's Men's Basketball (@StJohnsBBall)February 7, 2026

St. John's turned 15 UConn turnovers, nine of which came from Huskies point guard Silas Demary Jr., into 20 points. The nine turnovers were a season high for Demary, who has otherwise been a home run find out of the transfer portal for the Huskies this season.

"You've got to be in great shape to do what they do," Hurley said of the St. John's defense and the disruption it created for the Huskies' offense. "It disrupts your ability to get into what you want to do offensively.

"I don't think that we turned it over because of their pressure. We turned it over because we lost our (expletive) mind a little bit and they have great defense. That's a top 20 defense, easy. They're hard to beat."

That fight then continued with the St. John's response to UConn's 16-9 run midway through the second half, where it saw its 11-point lead sliced to a single point after Demary hit a 3-pointer from the corner of the Huskies' bench.

A second-chance, tipped-in jumper from Dillon Mitchell off a missed 3-pointer and a 3-pointer from Dylan Darling turned the energy in The Garden back the Johnnies' way, and they closed on a 12-7 run. St. John's physicality around the rim led to 16 second-chance points on nine offensive rebounds.

🔔🔔pic.twitter.com/Txz2eUQj7Y

— St. John's Men's Basketball (@StJohnsBBall)February 7, 2026

"We made a lot of big plays tonight, a lot of big plays," Pitino said. "I'm proud of our guys for not panicking one bit at any point in the game."

Zuby Ejiofer was also a difference maker for St. John's across his 34 minutes of action, as he stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and two steals.

"You know you're going to make me retire because I'm not living life without you," Pitino said of the preseason Big East Player of the Year.

It's the fourth game this season in which Ejiofor finished with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. His 21 points were a key driver of the 50 points the Red Storm received from their frontcourt, (Mitchell had 15 points and Hopkins 14).

"They're grown-ass men," Hurley said of the St. John's frontcourt. "... They are built for Big East games."

St. John's physicality also helped it earn its first top-25 win of the season. The Red Storm outscored the Huskies 42-22 inside the paint, and got to the line 31 times compared to UConn's 12 free-throw attempts.

Those reasons, and growing guard play, could make Pitino's squad a real tough out in the NCAA Tournament. The Red Storm entered the night on the 5-seed line in projections, but after Friday's win, they should see a bump to a 4-seed.

For UConn, the Huskies miss out on adding a second Quad 1 win in Big East play on the season. Hurley's squad shouldn't see a drop in their projections, as a combined 13-3 Quad 1 and Quad 2 record, which features a win over Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, is a fine resume to keep them at the 1-seed line.

But for now, St. John's shifts its focus to Xavier at The Garden on Monday night with Round Two against the Huskies not that far in the distance on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut. It will likely be a fight for the No. 1 seed in next month's Big East tournament back at The Garden.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:St. John's basketball makes statement with upset of UConn

Following theopening ceremonyon Friday, Feb. 6, events are set to continue through the closing ceremony on Feb. 22. The Paralympics will take place the following month, from March 6 to March 15.

The venues in Italy are six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and nine hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.

Here's what you need to know about the schedule for these Winter Games.

What is today's schedule for the 2026 Winter Olympics?

The schedule for Saturday, Feb. 7, features several types of skiing: Alpine, cross-country, freestyle and ski jumping.

There will also be several round-robin sessions of curling, including a matchup between the U.S. and Great Britain.

Viewers can also catch men's single skating and ice dance, along with ice hockey, luge, snowboarding and speed skating

What is tomorrow's schedule for the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Sunday, Feb. 8, brings more action on the slopes, with competition in Alpine skiing, biathlon and ski jumping as well as snowboarding and cross-country.

Round-robin curling matches continue, along with luge and ice hockey. For figure skating fans, there's team competition in pair skating, women's single and men's single.

When are the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2026 Olympics?

The opening ceremony for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games on Friday, Feb. 6, featured performances from Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini and Andrea Bocelli, as well as the traditionalParade of Nationsand the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

The ceremony, produced by Balich Wonder Studio, primarily took place at the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium, with additional events around Milan and athlete parades in Predazzo, Livigno and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Seeall the highlights here.

The Verona Arena will host the closing ceremony for this year's Winter Olympics on Feb. 22.

What is the 2026 Winter Olympics figure skating schedule?

Figure skating events begin on Feb. 6. Competition will continue daily through Feb. 11. There will be a break on Feb. 12, but there will be additional figure skating events on Feb. 13, 15, 16, 17 and 19.

The website for the Olympics details whenteam, pair and singles eventsare for figure skating.

What is the 2026 Winter Olympics snowboarding schedule?

Snowboarding events at the Winter Olympics start on Feb. 5, then continue from Feb. 7-9, 11-13 and 15-18.

The website for the Olympics detailswhen qualifying events and final runsare for both men's and women's events.

An overview of the Olympics schedule for 2026

While the Olympics opening ceremony was on Friday, Feb. 6, events for the Winter Games actually started two days earlier on Feb. 4. The closing ceremony, along with several medal events, will be on Feb. 22.

While a full schedule is available online, the Milano Cortina Games organizers note that it is subject to change.

Wednesday, Feb. 4

Alpine skiingCurlingLuge

Thursday, Feb. 5

Alpine skiingCurlingIce hockeyLugeSki jumpingSnowboard

Friday, Feb. 6

Opening CeremonyAlpine skiingCurlingFigure skatingIce hockeyLugeSki jumping

Saturday, Feb. 7

Alpine skiingCross-country skiingCurlingFigure skatingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyLugeSki jumpingSnowboardSpeed skating

Sunday, Feb. 8

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Alpine skiingBiathlonCross-country skiingCurlingFigure skatingIce hockeyLugeSki jumpingSnowboardSpeed skating

Monday, Feb. 9

Alpine skiingCurlingFigure skatingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyLugeNordic combinedSkeletonSki jumpingSnowboardSpeed skating

Tuesday, Feb. 10

Alpine skiingBiathlonCross-country skiingCurlingFigure skatingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyLugeNordic combinedShort track speed skatingSkeletonSki jumping

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Alpine skiingBiathlonCurlingFigure skatingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyLugeNordic combinedSkeletonSnowboardSpeed skating

Thursday, Feb. 12

Alpine skiingBobsleighCross-country skiingCurlingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyLugeShort track speed skatingSkeletonSki jumpingSnowboardSpeed skating

Friday, Feb. 13

BiathlonBobsleighCross-country skiingCurlingFigure skatingIce hockeyNordic combinedSkeletonSki jumpingSnowboardSpeed skating

Saturday, Feb. 14

Alpine skiingBiathlonBobsleighCross-country skiingCurlingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyShort track speed skatingSkeletonSki jumpingSpeed skating

Sunday, Feb. 15

Alpine skiingBiathlonBobsleighCross-country skiingCurlingFigure skatingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyNordic combinedSkeletonSki jumpingSnowboardSpeed skating

Monday, Feb. 16

Alpine skiingBobsleighCurlingFigure skatingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyNordic combinedShort track speed skatingSki jumpingSnowboard

Tuesday, Feb. 17

BiathlonBobsleighCurlingFigure skatingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyNordic combinedSnowboardSpeed skating

Wednesday, Feb. 18

Alpine skiingBiathlonBobsleighCross-country skiingCurlingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyNordic combinedShort track speed skatingSnowboard

Thursday, Feb. 19

BobsleighCurlingFigure skatingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyNordic combinedSki mountaineeringSpeed skating

Friday, Feb. 20

BiathlonBobsleighCurlingFreestyle skiingIce hockeyShort track speed skatingSpeed skating

Saturday, Feb. 21

BiathlonBobsleighCross-country skiingCurlingFreestyle skiingIce hockeySki mountaineeringSpeed skating

Sunday, Feb. 22

Closing CeremonyBobsleighCross-country skiingCurlingIce hockeyWill the Olympics TV schedule be live or delayed?

There will be both live and tape-delayed coverage of the Olympics airing on TV. Viewers in the U.S. can watch on NBC and Peacock. According to the NBC Olympics website, NBC will have a minimum of five hours of live event coverage starting each morning and continuing on through the afternoon. Viewers can check NBC local listingshere.

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The Mexican immigrant told The Associated Press this week that he remembers Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulling him from a friend's car outside aSt. Paulshopping center and throwing him to the ground, handcuffing him, and then punching him and striking his head with a steel baton.

He remembers being taken to a detention facility, where he said he was beaten again. Then came the emergency room and the intense pain from eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages.

Castañeda Mondragón, 31, is one of an unknown number of immigration detainees who, despite avoiding deportation, have been left with lasting injuries following violent encounters with ICE. While the Trump administration insists ICE limits its enforcement operations to immigrants with violent rap sheets, he has no criminal record.

Here's what to know about the case, one of the excessive-force claims the federal government has thus far declined to investigate.

Immigrant says attack was unprovoked

ICE officers who arrested Castañeda Mondragón on Jan. 8 told nurses the man "purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall," an account Hennepin County Medical Center staffimmediately doubted. A CT scan showed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull — injuries a doctor told AP were inconsistent with a fall.

ICE's account evolved as Castañeda Mondragón lay stricken in the hospital. At least one officer told staff the man "got his (expletive) rocked," according to court documents filed by a lawyer seeking his release and nurses who treated him.

"There was never a wall," Castañeda Mondragón told AP, recalling ICE officers striking him with the same metal rod used to break the windows of the vehicle he was in. He later identified it as atelescoping batonroutinely carried by law enforcement.

Training materials and police use-of-force policies across the U.S. say such a baton can be used to hit the arms, legs and body. But striking the head, neck or spine is considered potentially deadly force.

Once he was taken to an ICE holding facility in suburban Minneapolis, Castañeda Mondragón said, officers resumed beating him. He said he pleaded with them to get a doctor, but they just "laughed at me and hit me again."

DHS will not discuss the case

The Trump administration this week announced abroad rolloutof body cameras for immigration officers in Minneapolis even as the government draws down ICE's presence there. But it's not clear whether Castañeda Mondragón's arrest was captured on body-camera footage or if there might be additional recordings from security cameras at the detention center.

TheDepartment of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the case.

The government's only acknowledgment of the injuries came in a Jan. 20 court filing that said it was learned during his arrest that "had a head injury that required emergency medical treatment."

The same filing said Castañeda Mondragón entered the U.S. legally in March 2022 and that the agency determined only after his arrest that he had overstayed his visa. A federal judge ruled his arrest had been unlawful and ordered him released from ICE custody.

Elected officials call for accountability

The case has drawn the attention of several officeholders in Minnesota, including Gov. Tim Walz, who this week posted an AP story about the case on X. But it's not clear whether any state authorities are investigating how Castañeda Mondragón was injured.

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office, which oversees St. Paul, urged Castañeda Mondragón to file a police report to prompt an investigation. He said he plans to file a complaint. A St. Paul police spokesperson said the department would investigate "all alleged crimes that are reported to us."

"We are seeing a repeated pattern of Trump Administration officials attempting to lie and gaslight the American people when it comes to the cruelty of this ICE operation in Minnesota," Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, said in a statement.

Rep. Kelly Morrison, another Democrat and a doctor, recently toured the Whipple Building, the ICE facility at Ft. Snelling. She said she saw severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and an almost complete lack of medical care. She and other Minnesota Democrats say injuries that occur in ICE custody should be investigated.

"If any one of our police officers did this, you know what just happened in Minnesota with George Floyd, we hold them accountable," said Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum, whose district includes St. Paul. "There's no reason why federal agents should not be held to the same high standard."

Biesecker reported from Washington. Mustian reported from New York, and Attanasio reported from Seattle.

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.Report for Americais a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

A suicide bomber killed dozens of people and injured more than 160 during Friday prayers at a Shiite Muslim mosque in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, authorities said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via two posts on its Telegram channel, and included the name and picture of the alleged bomber. CNN was unable to immediately verify the image.

The death toll stood at 32 as of Saturday afternoon, according to police in Islamabad.

IS said the attacker shot guards who tried to stop him before detonating his explosive vest. In its statement the group warned that "there is still more to come."

This was the deadliest attack in the country since January 2023, when a blast at a mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed more than 100 people.

"We had just begun the prayer when we heard the sound of gunfire, followed by a powerful explosion," a worshipper at the mosque, Syed Ameer Hussain Shah, 47, told CNN.

"I got injured as well. At that time, the mosque hall was full, with more than 400 worshippers inside."

Pakistan has witnessed a rising wave of militancy in recent years, but attacks have been less frequent in the heavily guarded capital. A bombing in Islamabad in November, which killed 12, was the deadliest suicide attack to rock the city in nearly two decades.

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Images in the aftermath of the attack showed bodies covered in blood lying on the floor of the mosque surrounded by shards of glass and debris.

"It was a horrible scene of my life which I could never have imagined," 24-year-old Shoaib told CNN from PIMS Hospital Islamabad, where he was visiting his wounded cousin.

"I heard the sound of single fire when we were in the middle of Friday prayers and, after a few seconds, a huge deafening sound of the explosion," he said. "Everyone was running outside while some worshipers began to shift the wounded to hospital. My young cousin sustained a wound in the right leg."

The US embassy in Islamabad condemned the attack. "Acts of terror and violence against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable," it said on X. "The people of Pakistan deserve safety, dignity, and the ability to practice their faith without fear."

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari said the targeting of innocent civilians was "a crime against humanity," and the entire nation stood "shoulder to shoulder with the families affected," the Associated Press reported.

Neighboring Afghanistan's ministry of foreign affairs also condemned the attack. "The Islamic Emirate considers attacks that violate the sanctity of mosques and sacred religious rites and target worshippers and civilians to be in contradiction to Islamic and humanitarian values," it said.

CNN's Sophie Tanno contributed reporting. This story has been updated with Islamic State claiming responsibility and new death toll.

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