St. John's Upsets Seton Hall In Big East Tournament Thriller
St. Johns Upsets Seton Hall In Big East Tournament Thriller...
St. John's pulled off a dramatic 75-72 upset over Seton Hall in Thursday's Big East Tournament quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. The Red Storm's victory eliminates the Pirates from NCAA Tournament contention and keeps their own March Madness hopes alive.
The game went down to the wire, with St. John's guard D'Angelo Harrison hitting the go-ahead three-pointer with 38 seconds remaining. Seton Hall had one final chance to tie, but Kadary Richmond's desperation three at the buzzer rimmed out.
This matchup is trending nationally because it significantly impacts the NCAA Tournament bubble picture. Seton Hall (20-11) was considered a likely tournament team before the loss, while St. John's (18-14) now has a stronger case for an at-large bid with this signature win.
Madison Square Garden erupted as the final horn sounded, with St. John's students storming the court. The victory marks the Red Storm's first Big East Tournament semifinal appearance since 2019 under former coach Chris Mullin.
"This is why you come to St. John's," said head coach Rick Pitino after the game. "Madison Square Garden, Big East Tournament, against your rival - it doesn't get better than this."
The loss is particularly crushing for Seton Hall, who entered the game as 4.5-point favorites. The Pirates now face an anxious Selection Sunday after losing four of their last six games.
St. John's advances to face top-seeded UConn in Friday's semifinals. The Red Storm lost both regular season meetings against the Huskies but will ride momentum from their biggest win of the season.
Thursday's game drew strong television ratings on FS1, with the New York/New Jersey rivalry capturing national attention. The intense matchup featured 12 lead changes and neither team leading by more than 8 points at any stage.
Selection Committee chair Charles McClelland told ESPN the result "certainly shakes up the bubble conversation" heading into championship weekend. Several bracketologists moved Seton Hall out of their projected field following the loss.
The victory continues St. John's late-season surge under Pitino, who has guided the team to five wins in their last seven games. The Hall of Fame coach improved to 8-1 all-time against Seton Hall in postseason play.
