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March Madness has a new sweetheart.
St. John’s Red Storm guard Dylan Darling found a lane and took it. With four seconds left in the game, he drove past Kansas Jayhawks defender Elmarko Jackson and made the game-winning layup before time expired.
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Dylan Darling #0 of the St. John’s Red Storm shoots the ball against Elmarko Jackson #13 and Flory Bidunga #40 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half of the second round of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
St. John’s Red Storm guard Dylan Darling (0) shoots the game-winning shot against the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half during a second round game of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament at Viejas Arena on March 22, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
For the first time since 1999, the Red Storm will head to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
“It was ugly, but we did it,” Darling said.
No. 4 seed St. John’s struggled late in the second half as Kansas moved up the field. St. John’s held a 10-point lead with 6:36 left. But a few missed shots and a few turnovers and the Jayhawks were back in the game.
Kansas star Darryn Peterson made two free throws with 13 seconds left to tie the game. The Jayhawks, who were the No. 5 seed, had four fouls to commit and used them all to bring the game back with about four seconds remaining. The idea was to keep the Red Storm on their toes and prevent them from putting up a decent in-bounds play.
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But Darling had the last laugh with his two-point basket – his only points of the game. He had four assists and two steals.
Red Storm’s Zuby Ejofor and Bryce Hopkins each had 18 points to lead St. John’s.
Peterson led Kansas with 21 points. Melvin Council Jr. had 15 points and Flory Bidunga 12 points.
St. John’s Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino talks with forward Sadiku Ibine Ayo (2) in the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks in a second round of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament at Viejas Arena on March 22, 2026. (Denis Poroy/Imagn Images)
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This is the fourth year in a row that Kansas has failed to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
