St. John’s beat Kansas to reach their first NCAA Sweet 16 since 1999

Dylan Darling scored a driving layup as time expired to give St. John’s a dramatic 67-65 victory over Kansas in San Diego on Sunday, sending the programme to its first NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 since 1999.

The tenacious point guard coolly secured the win after the Jayhawks had erased a 13-point deficit in the final eight minutes.

Darryn Peterson hit two crucial free throws to level the score at 65-65 with just 13.1 seconds remaining on the clock.

Utilising their remaining fouls, the opposition wound the clock down to 3.9 seconds to set the stage for the final play.

Pitino’s side survive late scare

Receiving the ball at the top of the key, the Idaho State transfer drove through the lane to bank in his only basket of the game.

The buzzer-beater sparked wild celebrations, with teammates tackling the match-winner in front of the travelling band.

Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins had earlier laid the foundation for the fifth-seeded Red Storm, scoring 18 points apiece.

Under the guidance of 73-year-old head coach Rick Pitino, the Big East champions have now won 21 of their last 22 fixtures.

Duke await in regional semi-finals

The historic victory sets up a monumental clash against overall top seed Duke in the East Region semi-finals in Washington.

This encounter also marked a rare meeting between two Hall of Fame managers, with Pitino overcoming 63-year-old Bill Self.

Despite 21 points from Peterson and a 15-point haul from Melvin Council Jr, the fourth-seeded side fell short of the next round.

Having ended Arizona’s unbeaten season in early February, the former national champions subsequently suffered a significant dip in form, losing six of their final 11 games.