Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John’s Red Storm guard Dylan Darling (0) celebrates after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
In a game in which he was scoreless until the final whistle, Dylan Darling kept St. John’s season alive, as they advanced to their first Sweet 16 in an NCAA Tournament since 1999.
His layup at the buzzer secured the 65-63 win for the Red Storm in a thrilling second-round affair against Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday in San Diego.
“He hadn’t done a damn good thing all night, so I know he was going to do it,” St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino said. “The fun is just starting.”
Darling, meanwhile, said, “I probably don’t deserve this. I was pretty bad all night long.” Darling missed all four of his long-range attempts, while dishing four assists and forcing a pair of turnovers. But when his team needed it most, the church bells started ringing, as Pitino had once said about his hyper-aggressive and clutch style of play.
“[Darling] comes up to me, and says run power, a high back-screen pick-and-roll. I walk away, and say, he hasn’t scored a bucket and he wants to play for himself,” Pitino added.
Darling kept the Johnnies alive throughout their 13-game win streak and did it one more time to keep them from free-falling against Kansas, who turned a 13-point deficit into a tie game.
Bryce Hopkins led St. John’s in scoring, tallying 18 points, seven rebounds, and six three-pointers. Reigning Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor remained close by, scoring 18, nine rebounds, and four assists.
But don’t let the solid numbers fool you. The Red Storm played a farm from perfect game, giving up seven turnovers against the Jayhawks. This presented itself as a boost in morale for Kansas, who scored eight straight points in the final minutes.
With 1:29 remaining, a three from Hopkins made a four-point ballgame. But that wasn’t enough to hold off Trey White and Darryn Peterson. A successful trip to the charity stripe made it a tie game, as Kansas fouled St. John’s four times to bring down the shot clock.
Peterson, a potential first-round pick, led the Jayhawks with 21 points and four rebounds. However, three turnovers stopped him in his tracks.
In fact, Kansas gave up the ball 16 total times against the Red Storm. But missed open looks hindered the Johnnies from taking advantage, leaving the door open for Peterson.
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