March Madness has taken an exciting turn. St. John’s Red Storm guard Dylan Darling made a crucial play, driving past Kansas Jayhawks defender Elmarco Jackson to sink the game-winning layup with just four seconds left on the clock.
It’s been a long wait—since 1999—for the Red Storm to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Darling, reflecting on the victory, remarked, “It was ugly, but we made it.” St. John’s, seeded fourth, faced a tough second-half challenge as Kansas rallied. At one point, the Red Storm was ahead by 10 points with just over six minutes to go, but missed shots and turnovers allowed the Jayhawks to come back.
Kansas’s Darin Peterson tied the game with two free throws in the final seconds. The fifth-seeded Jayhawks strategically committed fouls, aiming to disrupt St. John’s inbounds plays. Yet, Darling’s decisive basket was the only score in those crucial moments, which secured the win. He also contributed with four assists and two steals.
For St. John’s, Zooby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins were standout players, each scoring 18 points. Peterson led the Kansas effort with 21 points, supported by Melvin Council Jr. with 15 and Florrie Vidunga adding 12.
This defeat marked the fourth consecutive year that Kansas has not made it past the second round of the tournament.
