Rick Pitino, the St. John’s head coach, summed up the moment with a mix of disbelief and trust after St. John's basketball pulled off a dramatic 67-65 win over Kansas basketball. "Bells comes up to me, and says run (a play for me). So I walk away like, wait a second, he hasn't scored a bucket and he wants to run a play for himself.' And I'm thinking, but he's Bells!"


That belief defined the finish, as darling st johns delivered a stunning St. Johns buzzer beater to send st john's red storm into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. In a tense St. John's vs. Kansas clash, Darling drove to the rim and converted a layup at the buzzer, handing St. John's basketball a narrow victory over the kansas jayhawks.

Also Read: Dylan Darling sends Rick Pitino’s St. John’s squad to Sweet 16 with a dramatic buzzer-beater win over Kansas

Pitino’s viral “Bells” remark

The moment echoed an earlier comment from coach Pitino , when he had explained Darling’s nickname: "He's got balls as big as church bells," Pitino said. The quote resurfaced as the defining narrative of the St. Johns march madness upset, highlighting the trust between the St. John's coach and his players.

Kansas comeback falls just short

The Kansas game nearly turned late when freshman Darryn Peterson tied it with two free throws with 13 seconds remaining. KU had the chance to control the clock with fouls to give, but poor execution allowed st john's enough time to run the final play.