For the first time since 1999, the St. John’s Red Storm are heading to the Sweet 16, and they did it in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. In a sequence that will be replayed in Queens for decades, guard Dylan Darling sank a contested floater as the buzzer sounded, securing a victory and sending the St. John’s faithful into absolute hysterics.
The Anatomy of a Buzzer-Beater
Trailing by one point with just 4.2 seconds remaining, St. John’s had to inbound the ball from the opposite baseline. Darling received the pass on the run, navigated through a chaotic double-team at half-court, and drove hard into the paint. Knowing the clock was expiring, he threw up a heavily contested, high-arcing floater over the outstretched hands of a forward. The ball kissed the glass and dropped through the net just as the red light illuminated the backboard.
Ending the Drought
The victory ends a massive 27-year Sweet 16 drought for one of college basketball’s most historic programs. The emotion on the court was palpable, with players and coaches collapsing in joy. Under immense pressure, this team proved their resilience, finding a way to survive and advance when their season was literally down to its final second.
