Rick Pitino leads St. John's to 91-72 victory over Seton Hall in return to Big East Tournament
NEW YORK (AP) As St. John’s slumped through mid-February, Rick Pitino was exasperated by his team at times, but always hopeful.
“In our minds it was just the beginning, because March is what it's all about in college basketball,” Pitino said Thursday. “We told the guys you got to play your best basketball going into March.”
Mission accomplished.
Pitino returned to the Big East Tournament for the first time in 11 years and coached fifth-seeded St. John's to a 91-72 victory over fourth-seeded Seton Hall. The Red Storm (20-12) will take a six-game winning streak into the semifinals Friday night against top-seeded and No. 2 UConn at Madison Square Garden.
The Johnnies will be making their first Big East semifinal appearance since 2000 - which was also the last time they won the tournament.
“It's an unbelievable feeling, man,” said St. John's center Joel Soriano, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds. “Everybody that I've known from St. John's and coaches -- Coach P even said, he said, ‘Playing Friday night at Madison Square Garden, there’s no better feeling, there's no other tournament bigger than the Big East Tournament.'”
Pitino sarcastically added: “And we got a lucky draw. Easy game.”
Pitino won three Big East Tournaments while at Louisville - the last one in 2013 on the way to an NCAA championship - before the school moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The traditional Big East matchup of St. John's and Seton Hall paired two teams still trying to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. St. John's is making a strong closing case.
The Red Storm has not lost since Pitino, in his first year with the program, went off on his team after it blew a 19-point lead against Seton Hall on Feb. 18.
“I’m not gonna lie to you: This is the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime,” Pitino said then.
He sounded much different Thursday after his team won another game it could hardly afford to lose.
“They look at pressure as a great thing,” Pitino said.
RJ Luis Jr. led the Johnnies with 18 points, and Jordan Dingle had 14.
Al-Amir Dawes scored 22 points to keep Seton Hall (20-12) in the game, but St. John's controlled the second half with its fast pace.
The 71-year-old Pitino, sharply dressed in a navy-blue suit with a white pocket square and red and white striped tie, paced the sidelines, alternating between hands clasped behind his back and arms crossed. Every now and then, he took a knee to get a better view of his team.
He liked what he saw out of halftime. The Red Storm scored the first six points out of the break, with Glenn Taylor Jr.'s layup making it 51-40 and prompting Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway to call a timeout with 17:57 left.
“Everything that we do to teams, they did to us,” Holloway said.
The lead swelled to 71-56 when Dingle made a 3 from the wing with 9:10 left that drew another Seton Hall timeout and a roar from the Red Storm fans who made up a lot of the sellout crowd at the school's home away from home.
HE'S BACK
Pitino's star was launched in the Big East 37 years ago when he took Providence to the 1987 Final Four. Those Friars went 1-1 in the Big East Tournament, beating Lou Carnesecca and St. John's before losing to John Thompson and Georgetown in the semifinals.
Then it was off to the NBA and the Knicks, before returning to college basketball, first with Kentucky and then Louisville. Each stop included a national title - and some scandals.
After a three-year stint at Iona, Pitino was back in the Big East. Predictably, he has the Red Storm in the running for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
Pitino would be the first head coach to lead six schools to the NCAA Tournament if St. John's gets in.
“We're a hot team,” Pitino said when asked about St. John's NCAA positioning. “We're going to try to win this Big East crown.”
UP NEXT
St. John's lost both its meetings with UConn this season.
The Pirates make a solid case for inclusion in the NCAA field of 68, with five Quad 1 victories - including one against UConn - but they'll sweat it out until Selection Sunday.
“I think our resume speaks for itself,” Holloway said. “We have 13 wins in the best conference in the country.”
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Joel Soriano vs. Jaden Bediako (Al-Amir Dawes gains possession) | |||
19:49 | +2 | Jaden Bediako makes two point driving dunk (Dre Davis assists) | 0-2 | |
19:27 | Daniss Jenkins misses two point floating jump shot | |||
19:25 | Dylan Addae-Wusu defensive rebound | |||
19:13 | Dylan Addae-Wusu turnover (lost ball) (Glenn Taylor Jr. steals) | |||
19:06 | +2 | Glenn Taylor Jr. makes two point layup (Daniss Jenkins assists) | 2-2 | |
18:42 | +3 | Dylan Addae-Wusu makes three point jump shot (Dre Davis assists) | 2-5 | |
18:15 | +2 | Jordan Dingle makes two point cutting layup (Glenn Taylor Jr. assists) | 4-5 | |
18:01 | Dre Davis misses two point jump shot | |||
17:59 | Joel Soriano defensive rebound | |||
17:45 | Kadary Richmond shooting foul (Chris Ledlum draws the foul) | |||
17:45 | +1 | Chris Ledlum makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 5-5 | |
17:45 | +1 | Chris Ledlum makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 6-5 | |
17:30 | +3 | Dre Davis makes three point jump shot (Kadary Richmond assists) | 6-8 | |
17:16 | Jordan Dingle misses three point jump shot | |||
17:14 | Al-Amir Dawes defensive rebound | |||
17:10 | +2 | Al-Amir Dawes makes two point pullup jump shot | 6-10 | |
16:42 | Daniss Jenkins misses three point jump shot | |||
16:40 | Joel Soriano offensive rebound | |||
16:36 | Joel Soriano misses two point layup | |||
16:34 | Kadary Richmond defensive rebound | |||
16:31 | Dylan Addae-Wusu misses two point driving layup | |||
16:29 | Glenn Taylor Jr. defensive rebound | |||
16:19 | +2 | Jordan Dingle makes two point driving finger roll layup | 8-10 | |
16:03 | +3 | Al-Amir Dawes makes three point pullup jump shot | 8-13 | |
15:53 | Jordan Dingle misses three point jump shot | |||
15:51 | Kadary Richmond defensive rebound | |||
15:42 | Kadary Richmond turnover (bad pass) | |||
15:42 | TV timeout | |||
15:30 | +2 | Daniss Jenkins makes two point running jump shot (Joel Soriano assists) | 10-13 | |
15:04 | Chris Ledlum blocks Kadary Richmond's two point jump shot | |||
15:02 | RJ Luis Jr. defensive rebound | |||
14:53 | Chris Ledlum misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
14:51 | Daniss Jenkins offensive rebound | |||
14:47 | +2 | RJ Luis Jr. makes two point driving layup (Daniss Jenkins assists) | 12-13 | |
14:27 | +3 | Dylan Addae-Wusu makes three point jump shot (Al-Amir Dawes assists) | 12-16 | |
14:02 | +2 | Jordan Dingle makes two point driving layup (Joel Soriano assists) | 14-16 | |
13:28 | Chris Ledlum blocks Dylan Addae-Wusu's three point jump shot | |||
13:26 | Jaden Bediako offensive rebound | |||
13:24 | Kadary Richmond misses three point jump shot | |||
13:22 | Daniss Jenkins defensive rebound | |||
13:16 | Daniss Jenkins misses three point jump shot | |||
13:14 | RJ Luis Jr. offensive rebound | |||
13:07 | +2 | RJ Luis Jr. makes two point jump shot | 16-16 | |
12:48 | Daniss Jenkins shooting foul (Dre Davis draws the foul) | |||
12:48 | +1 | Dre Davis makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 16-17 | |
12:48 | Dre Davis misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
12:48 | RJ Luis Jr. defensive rebound | |||
12:37 | Simeon Wilcher turnover (lost ball) (Isaiah Coleman steals) | |||
12:33 | Brady Dunlap personal foul | |||
12:30 | Dre Davis misses two point hook shot | |||
12:28 | Zuby Ejiofor defensive rebound | |||
12:07 | Zuby Ejiofor turnover (traveling) | |||
11:51 | Isaiah Coleman misses two point layup | |||
11:49 | RJ Luis Jr. defensive rebound | |||
11:43 | +2 | RJ Luis Jr. makes two point driving layup | 18-17 | |
11:15 | +2 | Dre Davis makes two point fadeaway jump shot (Dylan Addae-Wusu assists) | 18-19 | |
10:52 | Simeon Wilcher misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
10:50 | Dre Davis defensive rebound | |||
10:46 | +2 | Al-Amir Dawes makes two point driving finger roll layup (Dre Davis assists) | 18-21 | |
10:20 | Elijah Hutchins-Everett shooting foul (Zuby Ejiofor draws the foul) | |||
10:20 | TV timeout | |||
10:20 | +1 | Zuby Ejiofor makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-21 | |
10:20 | +1 | Zuby Ejiofor makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 20-21 | |
10:05 | Elijah Hutchins-Everett misses two point layup | |||
10:03 | Isaiah Coleman offensive rebound | |||
10:02 | Isaiah Coleman misses two point layup | |||
10:00 | RJ Luis Jr. defensive rebound | |||
9:46 | +3 | Chris Ledlum makes three point jump shot (Daniss Jenkins assists) | 23-21 | |
9:10 | +3 | Al-Amir Dawes makes three point stepback jump shot (Kadary Richmond assists) | 23-24 | |
8:44 | +3 | Zuby Ejiofor makes three point jump shot (Nahiem Alleyne assists) | 26-24 | |
8:16 | Zuby Ejiofor blocks Elijah Hutchins-Everett's three point jump shot | |||
8:14 | Kadary Richmond offensive rebound | |||
8:11 | Al-Amir Dawes misses three point jump shot | |||
8:09 | Pirates offensive rebound | |||
8:09 | Pirates turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
7:53 | RJ Luis Jr. misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
7:51 | Kadary Richmond defensive rebound | |||
7:45 | Al-Amir Dawes misses three point jump shot | |||
7:43 | Elijah Hutchins-Everett offensive rebound | |||
7:40 | Jump ball. Elijah Hutchins-Everett vs. Chris Ledlum (Red Storm gains possession) | |||
7:40 | Elijah Hutchins-Everett turnover (lost ball) (Chris Ledlum steals) | |||
7:40 | TV timeout | |||
7:28 | +3 | Nahiem Alleyne makes three point jump shot (RJ Luis Jr. assists) | 29-24 | |
7:03 | Al-Amir Dawes turnover (lost ball) (RJ Luis Jr. steals) | |||
6:59 | +2 | RJ Luis Jr. makes two point driving layup | 31-24 | |
6:59 | Pirates 30 second timeout | |||
6:47 | Daniss Jenkins shooting foul (Kadary Richmond draws the foul) | |||
6:47 | +1 | Kadary Richmond makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 31-25 | |
6:47 | +1 | Kadary Richmond makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 31-26 | |
6:18 | Jaden Bediako shooting foul (Joel Soriano draws the foul) | |||
6:18 | +1 | Joel Soriano makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 32-26 | |
6:18 | +1 | Joel Soriano makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 33-26 | |
6:01 | +2 | Jaden Bediako makes two point dunk (Kadary Richmond assists) | 33-28 | |
5:52 | +2 | Nahiem Alleyne makes two point layup (Jordan Dingle assists) | 35-28 | |
5:30 | Dre Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
5:28 | Chris Ledlum defensive rebound | |||
5:13 | +2 | Joel Soriano makes two point hook shot | 37-28 | |
4:56 | +3 | Dylan Addae-Wusu makes three point jump shot (Al-Amir Dawes assists) | 37-31 | |
4:25 | RJ Luis Jr. misses three point stepback jump shot | |||
4:23 | Joel Soriano offensive rebound | |||
4:19 | +2 | Chris Ledlum makes two point layup | 39-31 | |
4:03 | +3 | Al-Amir Dawes makes three point jump shot (Kadary Richmond assists) | 39-34 | |
4:00 | TV timeout | |||
3:50 | Joel Soriano turnover (bad pass) (Kadary Richmond steals) | |||
3:37 | Nahiem Alleyne personal foul (Dylan Addae-Wusu draws the foul) | |||
3:26 | +2 | Kadary Richmond makes two point pullup jump shot | 39-36 | |
3:03 | Glenn Taylor Jr. offensive foul (Dylan Addae-Wusu draws the foul) | |||
3:03 | Glenn Taylor Jr. turnover (offensive foul) | |||
2:50 | Simeon Wilcher shooting foul (Kadary Richmond draws the foul) | |||
2:50 | +1 | Kadary Richmond makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 39-37 | |
2:50 | +1 | Kadary Richmond makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 39-38 | |
2:25 | Chris Ledlum misses three point jump shot | |||
2:23 | Joel Soriano offensive rebound | |||
2:21 | +2 | Joel Soriano makes two point layup | 41-38 | |
2:09 | Chris Ledlum personal foul (Jaden Bediako draws the foul) | |||
2:09 | Jaden Bediako misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
2:09 | RJ Luis Jr. defensive rebound | |||
1:49 | Chris Ledlum turnover (lost ball) (Kadary Richmond steals) | |||
1:44 | +2 | Kadary Richmond makes two point driving finger roll layup | 41-40 | |
1:35 | Red Storm 30 second timeout | |||
1:25 | Al-Amir Dawes personal foul (Simeon Wilcher draws the foul) | |||
1:25 | Dre Davis personal foul (RJ Luis Jr. draws the foul) | |||
1:11 | Jordan Dingle misses three point jump shot | |||
1:08 | Pirates defensive rebound | |||
0:58 | Kadary Richmond misses two point jump shot | |||
0:56 | RJ Luis Jr. defensive rebound | |||
0:34 | +2 | Joel Soriano makes two point jump shot | 43-40 | |
0:05 | Simeon Wilcher blocks Kadary Richmond's two point driving layup | |||
0:03 | Red Storm defensive rebound | |||
0:01 | +2 | RJ Luis Jr. makes two point pullup jump shot | 45-40 | |
0:00 | End of period |