No. 2 seed St. John's eliminated by No. 10 seed Arkansas in first major upset of NCAA Tournament
In a coaching rematch from the 1996 Final Four, John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks upset Rick Pitino’s St. John's Red Storm to advance to the Sweet 16.
In a coaching rematch from the 1996 Final Four, John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks upset Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm on Saturday, clinching a Sweet 16 berth with a 75-66 win.
The game was a slugfest befitting two of the sport’s most storied — and most colorful — coaches, and the Razorbacks ultimately held on in the second half after a physical, often ugly battle. Neither team shot well, combining to hit only 4 of 41 3-pointers, shooting a combined 34.8% from the field overall.
After a back-and-forth first half, Arkansas went on a 7-0 run to end the first period, taking a 35-32 lead into the break. In the final 20 minutes, the Razorbacks initially raced out to a 13-point advantage, leading 55-42 with a little over 11 minutes remaining.
The Red Storm clawed their way back, however, putting together an 18-7 run to close the gap to 62-60 with roughly six minutes to go. Employing Pitino’s signature full-court press, St. John’s was able to muck up the game to set up a close finish.
Ultimately, Arkansas made more plays down the stretch, finishing the game on a 13-6 run of their own to close it out.
Rating: 5