Overview
- St. John’s fell 80-75 to Duke on Friday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., after Dylan Darling missed a tying 3 with 1.8 seconds left.
- Rick Pitino called the same ‘Power’ play that freed Darling for a buzzer-beating winner against Kansas earlier in the tournament.
- Pitino said the staff did not seek that exact shot but praised Darling’s nerve, while Darling called it a miscommunication on the shot choice.
- Darling’s layup had eliminated Kansas 67-65 and sent St. John’s to its first Sweet 16 since 1999, setting up the late-game spotlight he faced against Duke.
- Social media reactions skewed harsh as posts mocked his deep side-step try, and coverage revisited his ‘Church Bells’ nickname and his NFL-linebacker father, James.