NEW YORK (AP)Jordan Hawkins scored 20 points, Adama Sanogo added 18 points and nine rebounds, and No. 18 UConn beat St. John’s 95-86 on Saturday.

Andre Jackson Jr. had 15 points, Joey Calcaterra also scored 15 to lead a strong effort by Connecticut’s bench and the resurgent Huskies (22-7, 11-7 Big East) avenged an 11-point loss to St. John’s at home last month.

UConn won for the sixth time in seven games, closing in on a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament.

AJ Storr had 20 points and Posh Alexander added 18 for the Red Storm (17-13, 7-12), who had won three of four.

David Jones scored 15 off the bench – all in the second half – and Joel Soriano marked Senior Day with 12 points and 11 rebounds for his 22nd double-double this season, most in Division I.

Soriano fouled out with 3:02 remaining and St. John’s down by 12.

There was plenty of jawing between the Big East rivals before a split crowd at Madison Square Garden in a game that included four technical fouls.

UConn scored the first six points of the second half down low and opened the period with a 12-4 surge that gave the Huskies a 62-45 cushion with 13:31 remaining.

St. John’s trimmed it to nine with 9:32 left, but technical fouls on Dylan Addae-Wusu and Red Storm coach Mike Anderson led to four free throws by Hawkins over the next 5:10 that helped UConn build its lead back to 15.

Three players off the bench – Calcaterra, Nahiem Alleyne and 7-foot-2 freshman Donovan Clingan – keyed a couple of quick spurts that put UConn in control late in the first half.

Alleyne hit a pull-up jumper and assisted on Clingan’s dunk during a 7-0 run capped by Calcaterra’s 3-pointer that gave the Huskies a 39-27 advantage.

St. John’s shaved it to seven before another 3 by Calcaterra completed a 10-2 surge that put UConn ahead by 15. Alexander converted a 3-point play and drained a 3-pointer to send the Red Storm into the break down 50-41.

SENIOR DAY

St. John’s honored Soriano, Esahia Nyiwe and injured guard Montez Mathis during a pregame ceremony on the court. Nyiwe made his first start of the season but sat down with two fouls – including a technical – just 4:16 in.

STATUS REPORT

St. John’s reserve Rafael Pinzon, suspended indefinitely, sat out his third straight game. The sophomore guard is averaging 6.1 points per game. … Red Storm guard Andre Curbelo came off the bench for the second consecutive game. He was held out for each of the previous three, a coach’s decision.

BIG PICTURE

UConn: Improved to 67-59 all-time at Madison Square Garden, which will host the Big East Tournament next month.

St. John’s: Headed for the 8-9 game in the first round of the Big East Tournament. … Soriano’s 22 double-doubles are the most by a St. John’s player since Walter Berry had 28 in 1985-86.

UP NEXT

UConn: Plays its home finale Wednesday night against DePaul before wrapping up the regular season Saturday at Villanova. Hawkins had 26 points in a 90-76 win at DePaul on Jan. 31.

St. John’s: Closes the regular season next Saturday at No. 10 Marquette, which is nearing its first Big East title since 2013. The first-place Golden Eagles won 96-85 at St. John’s on Jan. 3. Soriano had 22 points and 13 rebounds in that game.

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