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In a training rematch from the 1996 Remaining 4, John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks upset Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Purple Storm on Saturday, clinching a Candy 16 berth with a 75-66 win.
The sport was a slugfest befitting two of the game’s most storied — and most colourful — coaches, and the Razorbacks finally held on within the second half after a bodily, usually ugly battle. Neither workforce shot properly, combining to hit solely 4 of 41 3-pointers, capturing a mixed 34.8% from the sphere total.
After a back-and-forth first half, Arkansas went on a 7-0 run to finish the primary interval, taking a 35-32 lead into the break. Within the remaining 20 minutes, the Razorbacks initially raced out to a 13-point benefit, main 55-42 with slightly over 11 minutes remaining.
The Purple Storm clawed their approach again, nevertheless, placing collectively an 18-7 run to shut the hole to 62-60 with roughly six minutes to go. Using Pitino’s signature full-court press, St. John’s was in a position to muck up the sport to arrange a detailed end.
Finally, Arkansas made extra performs down the stretch, ending the sport on a 13-6 run of their very own to shut it out.
The Purple Storm have been unable to beat a poor efficiency by guard R.J. Luis Jr, who entered Saturday averaging 18.5 factors per recreation. Towards the Razorbacks, Luis Jr. scored solely 9 factors on 3-of-17 capturing.
Arkansas was led by freshman guard Billy Richmond III, who got here off the bench to attain 16 factors.
Calipari, in his first season main the Razorbacks after 15 years at Kentucky, superior previous the second spherical for the primary time since 2019. He now has a chance to do what solely Pitino has finished in males’s NCAA basketball historical past: win a nationwide championship with two completely different colleges.
Pitino, then again, was denied the prospect to guide a document fourth college to the Remaining 4.
