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Connecticut's Caron Butler dunks the ball for two points in the closing minutes of the Big East Conference game at Storrs. (AP Photo/Bob Child)

By DONNA TOMMELLEO
Associated Press

STORRS, Conn. (AP) (Jan. 6, 2001) -- Souleymane Wane hit two of four free throws with 1:38 remaining in overtime, lifting No. 10 Connecticut to an 82-80 win over St. John's on Saturday.

With the score tied at 82, Wane was fouled by Omar Cook and made the first of two shots. He grabbed his own rebound and was fouled again, this time by freshman Willie Shaw. Again, he made one of two shots for a two-point UConn lead.

The Red Storm had three chances to score in the final minute. Cook's jumper missed and was knocked out of bounds by the Huskies. On the next possession, Alpha Bangura and Anthony Glover each tried to muscle it in, but ran into a wall of UConn defenders. St. John's coach Mike Jarvis wanted a foul on Bangura's attempt, but didn't get it.

St. John's had the last touch on Glover's ball as it was batted off the court with 1.9 seconds remaining. UConn inbounded and ran out the clock for the win.

UConn freshman Caron Butler hit his only 3-pointer as time ran out in regulation to send the game into the extra period at 75-all.

With the win, the Huskies (12-2, 1-1 Big East) avoided their first 0-2 conference start in a decade after losing the conference opener to Boston College on Wednesday. St. John's (7-6, 1-1) had its three-game winning streak snapped.

Johnnie Selvie led UConn with 26 points to match a career-high. Butler finished with 15 and freshman point guard Taliek Brown had a career-high 12 assists.

Shaw led the Red Storm with 25 points. His six 3-pointers were a career high.

The Huskies had to rally from a 40-31 deficit in the first half in which they shot just 35 percent and struggled against the St. John's zone. UConn's transition game got untracked in the second half and produced in a 21-5 run. Butler's jam off a block with 11:23 left put UConn up 53-52, the Huskies' first lead since 18:06 in the first half. UConn led by as much as nine, 66-57, in the second half. That's when Shaw fueled a 13-4 Red Storm run with eight points. His 3-pointer with 2:35 left tied it at 70-all.

St. John's had the ball and 74-72 lead with 18.9 seconds left in regulation but UConn had three fouls to give at that point. Butler knocked two inbounds passes out. Three Husky fouls later, Cook got to the line twice and hit just one free throw. UConn brought the ball up the court with 8.2 seconds left in regulation setting the stage for Butler's 3-pointer.

Butler and Edmund Saunders led UConn with eight rebounds apiece, as the Huskies won the battle of the boards 40-34. Bangura finished with 18 points for the Red Storm.