UConn fans still remember the night St. John’s stunned the Huskies 69–64 during the 2022–23 season, a loss that marked a rare stretch of multiple conference defeats. So when the teams met again at PeoplesBank Arena — the same site of that stunning result — the familiar question returned. Could the Johnnies once again pull off an upset and derail the Lady Huskies’ unbeaten run?

That scenario never materialized. UConn Huskies not only kept their unbeaten streak alive, improving to 16–0 on the season, but also secured their sixth straight win over the Red Storm since their last defeat. With that box checked, here are the three main takeaways from the game.

1. Dominance from the get-go for UConn

The Huskies wasted no time asserting control. They raced out to an 8–0 start, forcing St. John’s to call a timeout just 1:57 into the game. By the end of the opening quarter, UConn had already put the game out of reach, leading 29–9 while shooting 13-of-18 from the floor and limiting the Red Storm to just 2-of-8 shooting.

The craziest part? UConn didn’t come up empty on a possession until 4:56 into the first quarter, a clear sign of just how locked in they were. By halftime, the Huskies were up 50–22, fueled by a 15–0 run in the second quarter and a dominant final five minutes that saw them hold the St. John’s to just one made basket.

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Nothing changed after halftime. UConn went on a 6–0 run, then a 15–0 burst to go up 40, putting the game completely out of reach. By the end of the third quarter, the Huskies led 72–32 and eventually walked away with an 88–43 win.

2. St John’s make plenty of mistakes

UConn overwhelmed the St. John’s Red Storm on both ends of the floor. The Huskies forced 33 turnovers and turned them into 46 points. They also dominated the paint, scoring 54 points inside compared to just 10 for St. John’s. Add in 23 steals that fueled 25 fast-break points, and it was a complete performance from start to finish.

3. Jana El Alfy’s injury a worry going forward?

Ahead of the game, Geno Auriemma confirmed that Jana El Alfy was ruled out after suffering a concussion during practice the previous night, when she was hit in the head. El Alfy, who was a starter last season for the  Huskies, has seen her role reduced this year due to the Huskies’ depth in the frontcourt following the arrival of Serah Williams.

But she remains an important piece of the rotation. Jana El Alfy is averaging 4.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in just 11.4 minutes per game, and her presence in the paint is always valuable. That said, UConn didn’t really miss her on this night. It quickly turned into a Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd show once again, with the Huskies’ stars taking full control from start to finish.

Sarah Strong led the way with 24 points on an efficient 11-of-15 shooting night, while also adding three rebounds and five assists. She finished just five points shy of matching her career high, and speaking of career highs, Azzi Fudd dropped a career-best 34 points against St. John’s Red Storm last season. And while she didn’t need to go that far this time, she still finished with a solid 16 points on 4-of-8 shooting.

UConn faces a demanding stretch ahead with games against Creighton Bluejays, Villanova Wildcats, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish coming up next, and they’re almost certain to feel Jana El Alfy’s absence as she enters concussion protocol. UConn have already seen Ayanna Patterson miss multiple games this season under the same protocol, and this situation appears no different.

So will the Huskies miss El Alfy’s presence in the paint? It’s definitely something worth keeping an eye on.