Reserve Samson Johnson provides UConn a huge boost in quarterfinal win
Mar. 14—NEW YORK — Junior Samson Johnson had a total of 46 seconds of Big East tournament experience prior to Thursday's quarterfinal game.
And that experience came two seasons ago against Seton Hall in first-round action on March 10, 2022.
When given a chance Thursday, Johnson made a big contribution in top-seeded UConn's 87-60 win over ninth-seeded Xavier.
Johnson, along with fellow reserve guard Hassan Diarra, helped lift the Huskies out of an early-game funk and push them in a positive direction.
A soft-spoken 6-foot-10 forward, Johnson scored eight of his 12 points in the first half and also finished with two rebounds and an assist in a productive 11 minutes.
"I was very excited to get out here and play on the big stage," Johnson said. "It was good."
With starter Donovan Clingan struggling early on, coach Dan Hurley turned to Johnson sooner than usual.
Johnson entered the game with UConn trailing 10-2.
He made an immediate impact, scoring four of UConn's next six points to propel a 13-0 run.
"I just went out and tried to help my team," Johnson said. "I tried to change the tempo and change the temperature of the game and step in and make great plays on offense and defense."
For a while in the first half, Johnson was UConn's only reliable offensive player. He made three of his first four field goals while his teammates went a combined 6-for-23 from the field.
Clingan came to life in the second half, scoring 11 of his 13 points. He also added seven rebounds and four assists.
The combination of Clingan and Johnson give UConn a strong one-two punch under the basket.
"It's all about the next man up," Clingan said. "If someone is not playing their game, someone has to be ready to come in and step up. That's what's so special about this team. Samson is a great player. We make each other better in practice every single day.
"To be able to come out here and when things aren't going well for me, for him to step up like that, it's important. That's what we're going to need the rest of the year."
After a foot injury disrupted his sophomore season, Johnson has gradually improved. He came into Thursday's game averaging 5.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game.
With his effort against Xavier, Johnson has scored in double figures six times this season.
Johnson has become someone that Hurley can count on off the bench.
"I think he's gotten back to the things that he does well," Hurley said. "He's learned to handle the physicality of these games and he was a major difference-maker."
Semifinal showdown
UConn (29-3) versus No. 5 St. John's (20-12) will make for riveting theater in Friday's Big East semifinal.
There's the coaching matchup between Hurley and Hall of Famer Rick Pitino. Hurley has won the last three meetings, two this season and in last year's NCAA tournament first round against Iona, Pitino's former coaching home.
Plus, plenty of drama is expected on the court. Also, Naheim Alleyne, a member of UConn's national championship team, is a reserve guard for the Red Storm.
St. John's advanced to its first semifinal since 2000 by beating No. 4 Seton Hall 91-72 in Thursday's quarterfinal. RJ Luis, Jr. led six Red Storm players in double figures with 18 points.
A win would improve the Red Storm's odds of earning an NCAA tournament bid. They've won six straight.
"We're trying to win the Big East title," Pitino said. "We know Connecticut is a great team. We know they're one of the best teams in the country. I can tell you from being at Iona, the second unit is as good as their first unit. But we know that.
"But certainly we've had a great year."
The Huskies are 2-4 all-time versus the Red Storm in the Big East tournament, last playing in a 2010 first-round game won by St. John's, 73-51.
During the regular season, UConn swept both games, winning 69-65 in Hartford on Dec. 23 and 77-64 on Feb. 3 at Madison Square Garden. UConn's redshirt sophomore Alex Karaban sat out the second meeting with an ankle injury.
News and notes
UConn improved to 5-0 in games at Madison Square Garden this season. ... Reserve Apostolos Roumoglou scored a career-high five points, bringing his season total to 16. ... Xavier lost for the first time in the quarterfinals, holding a 7-0 mark entering the game. ... The Musketeers shot 34.4%, matching their lowest field goal percentage in league tournament action. ... Quincy Olivari led Xavier with 17 points and Desmond Claude, a sophomore from New Haven, had 13. ... UConn great Chris Smith, the program's all-time leading scorer, was honored as a Big East legend during a timeout on Thursday.
