Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Dylan Darling's Last-Second Layup Sends St. John's to Sweet 16

3/23/2026

45 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Dylan Darling (St. John's guard) scored the game-winning layup with 3.9 seconds left to give St. John's a 67-65 win over Kansas and reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
Darling had been scoreless before the layup.
The shot marked a buzzer-beater by a player who scored only points in the game.
St. John's, coached by Rick Pitino, will face Duke next.
Ejiofor and Hopkins each scored 18 points.

History

Historical Context

St. John's University, a founding member of the Big East Conference, reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1999 under coach Mike Jarvis, showcasing players like Bootsy Thornton, who averaged 15.4 points per game. The team, now coached by Rick Pitino, aims to revive its historic success, having previously made two Final Four appearances, the last in 1985, highlighting the cyclical nature of sports achievement.

1 of 2

Story summary

Dylan Darling (St. John's guard) scored the game-winning layup with 3.9 seconds left to give St. John's a 67-65 win over Kansas and reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
Darling had been scoreless before the layup.
The shot marked a buzzer-beater by a player who scored only points in the game.
St. John's, coached by Rick Pitino, will face Duke next.
Ejiofor and Hopkins each scored 18 points.

1 / 2