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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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A monster performance from center Taris Reed Jr. was just what Dan Hurley and the No. 6 UConn Huskies needed on Wednesday night, as the team roared to an early lead, built it to more, and never looked back.
When the final buzzer sounded, UConn delivered arguably its best performance of the season, defeating Rick Pitino's No. 15 St. John's Red Storm, 72-40. While multiple players gave notable efforts in the team's blowout win at home, it was Reed who stepped up in a major way.
The Huskies' center, playing in his second season after transferring from Michigan, scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and swatted away six of the Red Storm's shots in an epic display of his talents on the hardwood.
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That had head coach Hurley quite pleased with what he saw and delivered a message about the team's NCAA Tournament aspirations.
Read more: UConn Huskies Announce Major Braylon Mullin News Before St. John’s Clash
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“The thing with Taris is he could repeat that, and if he repeats that, we’re not going to lose many more games the rest of the way,” Hurley said at his postgame press conference, adding, “It’s repeatable what he was doing. He wasn’t hitting like fadeaway dream shake shots.”
Hurley praised Reed’s “presence at the rim” on defense, along with his rebounding, passing, post position, and “passing out of traps” as things he did amazingly well in the Huskies’ latest win.
"If he does that [again], this team's gonna have a great rest of the way," UConn's coach told reporters.
The rest of the way features regular-season games with UConn hosting the Seton Hall Pirates on Saturday, and playing at Marquette on March 7, before beginning the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Some believe a third showdown could be on the way for UConn and St. John's, as they are now 1-1 in their two regular-season meetings.
Of course, Hurley and the Huskies are also interested in that much bigger prize: another UConn championship. The latest victory keeps them in contention to win the Big East and snag one of the four No. 1 seeds for the Big Dance in March.
They've shown they can contend with some of the top teams in the nation, having lost by just 4 points to Arizona, a team that held the No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 this season. That game also featured the Huskies missing their star freshman, Braylon Mullins, and Taris Reed Jr. from the lineup.
UConn also picked up significant wins over out-of-conference opponents, including now-No. 7 Florida and No. 11 Illinois, among other statement victories that bolstered its resume.
Hurley seemed pleased with his team's recent performance and suggested that the key to continued success would be for the big man to stay on this path. During his postgame remarks, he also mentioned that Reed's former program, Michigan, is playing at a high level, and he believes Reed can do the same with UConn as they go forth.
Read more: UConn Gets Alex Karaban and Braylon Mullins Injury Updates for Villanova
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