Zuby Ejiofor waved his hands above his head, imploring the St. John’s fans to get louder.

Booming “Let’s go, Johnnies!” chants followed into the timeout.

The large Connecticut contingent was now quiet.

Rick Pitino’s Red Storm weren’t just going to repeat as Big East Tournament champions for the first time in program history.

They were doing it going away, treating the Huskies like they didn’t belong on the same court.

There was still 3:26 left on the clock, but that didn’t matter.

It was a formality, the lead up to 20.

Top-seeded St. John’s slapped away the No. 2 Huskies’ second-half push, and blitzed them in winning time.

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Soon, confetti would be falling from the MSG roof, after this 72-52 beatdown at a sold-out Garden.

Ejiofor’s final college game at MSG was going to end in a dreamlike fashion, the entire building chanting “Zuuuuby,” as he exited the game for the final time.

Tears streamed down his cheeks.

“It was bittersweet,” Ejiofor, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, said after St. John’s became the first Big East school to win back-to-back outright regular-season titles and conference championships. “Like I’ve said pretty much all year, we’ve had a target on our backs and we had to battle through adversity all season. Nobody believed that we could get to this moment but us.”

Dillon Mitchell dunks the ball during St. John’s 72-52 win over UConn in the Big East title game on March 14, 2026. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

When Connecticut had gotten within seven, Ejiofor refused to let the title get away.

He hit a 3-pointer, scored in the lane, and blocked a shot that led to a Dillon Mitchell windmill jam.

St. John’s (28-6) put it away late with a 13-0 run, led by Dylan Darling, the point guard from low-major Idaho State finding his game at just the right time.

It was fitting that Ejiofor and Pitino cut down the final strand of nets together, the Hall of Fame coach and his star forward who have changed so much about this program.

Before Pitino’s arrival three years ago, St. John’s was irrelevant. Ejiofor was part of his first transfer class.

They’ve done a lot of things as a tandem that few people thought were possible in Queens.

“He’s a program-changing player that forever will change the trajectory of this program,” associate head coach Steve Masiello said of Ejiofor. “The combination of Rick Pitino and him have changed this program forever.”

Zuby Ejiofor reacts during the St. John’s win against UConn on March 14. Robert Sabo for NY Post

It was only a few weeks ago that St. John’s was humbled, beaten by 32 points by these same Huskies (29-5) in Hartford.

The Johnnies responded like a champion, winning six straight since then.

Saturday night they got revenge, making Connecticut tap out in the building their fans like to call “Storrs South,” holding them without a made field goal over the final 8:03.

UConn was held to 0.82 points per possession, its fewest since Jan. 23, 2020.

Only one Husky reached double figures, Tarris Reed Jr. with 17 points.

Zuby Ejiofor dunks the ball during the St. John’s Big East championship win on March 14. Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

“We laid an egg,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “We laid an egg in something we desperately wanted to win.”

Ejiofor turned in a masterpiece: 18 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks and three steals.

Bryce Hopkins followed with 18 points and Oziyah Sellers had 14.

Mitchell chipped in nine points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The three forwards, Hopkins, Ejiofor and Mitchell, were all named to the All-Tournament team.

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“The three of them, they make up a great, great frontcourt,” Pitino said.

Pitino couldn’t have scripted a better first 8:27. St. John’s scored the game’s first 10 points and led by 14 at that point.

The Red Storm (28-6) started by making 13 of their first 18 shots.

Connecticut had committed as many turnovers (five) as St. John’s missed shots and Hurley was whistled for a technical foul for arguing a non-call.

Dan Hurley reacts from the sideline during UConn’s loss to St. John’s on March 14. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

But the Huskies put together a 7-0 run early in the second half, and suddenly an 18-point lead was quickly down to 11.

It ballooned to a 13-2 burst after consecutive Reed baskets inside, and St. John’s lead was just seven with 12:24 to go.

The Red Storm had missed six of seven shots and were struggling to get quality looks.

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Over the span of the run, 6:03, the Johnnies managed just a Hopkins follow after an offensive rebound.

Out of a timeout, Hopkins hit a left-elbow jumper.

Then Ejiofor sank a 3-pointer.

Order was restored.

St. John’s wasn’t going to be denied.

Not at the Garden.

Not in Ejiofor’s final college game in the building.

“There’s so much history with St. John’s,” Pitino said, “and we brought it all back in three years.”