Game Story | Boxscore

Tony Robertson of Connecticut, tries get past St. Johns' Anthony Glocer and Willie Shaw during the first half of their Big East match-up at Madison Square. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

NEW YORK (AP) (Jan. 30, 2001) -- Caron Butler and Mouring each had 14 points for Connecticut, while Edmund Saunders added 12, but it wasn't enough as UConn fell to BIG EAST rival St. John's, 60-55 at Madison Square Garden.

Omar Cook had 17 points, nine assists and three big plays in the final 1:15 for St. John's.

The Red Storm (12-7, 6-2 Big East) won for the eighth time in 10 games, and did it on a night when former coach Lou Carnesecca was honored.

A banner with Carnesecca's name and victory total (526) was raised to the ceiling in a halftime ceremony at Madison Square Garden. Among those in attendance was former President Bill Clinton.

Connecticut, which won the earlier meeting of the teams this season 82-80 in overtime, last lost five in a row when it dropped the final five games of the regular season in 1996-97 and finished 18-15.

The Huskies (13-7, 2-5) dropped out of the Top 25 this week, ending a run of 67 consecutive poll appearances, dating to the preseason poll in 1997-98.

Cook, a freshman point guard, drove the lane and found Donald Emanuel alone for a dunk with 1:15 left to give St. John's the lead for good at 56-54.

After a turnover by Connecticut, Cook again drove down the lane, and this time he kept the ball and laid it in to give the Red Storm a four-point lead.

Tony Robertson made one free throw for the Huskies with 16 seconds left and Emanuel missed the front end of a 1-and-1 two seconds later, giving Connecticut a chance at a tie.

Cook came up big again when he stripped the ball from Albert Mouring as he was starting to shoot just beyond the 3-point line and he fed the ball over his head to Reggie Jessie who laid it in with .4 seconds left for the final margin.

The Red Storm were coming off a loss at Virginia Tech that saw them shoot a season-low 36.4 percent, including 2-for-19 from 3-point range.

The long-range shooting wasn't much better against Connecticut as St. John's missed its first 10 3-point attempts, eight by Cook. But he made three 3s over the final 12:13 and the Red Storm finished 3-for-15 from beyond the arc.

Caron Butler and Mouring each had 14 points for Connecticut, while Edmund Saunders added 12.

The win was the 13th in a row at Madison Square Garden over Big East competition for the Red Storm.