NEW YORK — When Rick Pitino was introduced three years ago as the head coach at St. John’s, the legendary tactician pledged to restore the winning tradition at a school that had seen its legacy obscured following the retirement of program patron Lou Carnesecca.
Three short years later, the Red Storm is on the verge of a second straight double championship in the Big East.
Starting its Big East tournament semifinal with eight unanswered points, St. John’s stifled Seton Hall from the start, leading by as many as 19 points in the second half before earning a comfortable 78-68 win over the Pirates.
The win, in addition to sending the Johnnies to the Big East tournament championship for a second straight year, was the 2,000th in program history, something Pitino tipped his hat to after the victory was secured.
“These guys, what they don’t realize is that St. John’s — in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s — dominated the East Coast,” he said. “It was a dominant basketball team. From (Joe) Lapchick to Carnesecca, they dominated. Then they went into hibernation, like a bear for a while. These guys got them out of hibernation.”
Speaking of ursine qualities, Zuby Ejiofor displayed bear-like aggressiveness yet again, leading the Red Storm and all scorers with 20 points in the winning effort. He was assisted by Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell, the latter of whom sparked the top-seeded Johnnies with his boundless energy and two-way play.
“For me, it’s never about scoring or anything like that,” Mitchell said about the intensity he brings to the floor. “It’s about defense, just playing with a high motor. I figure out different ways to help to get the team a win, no matter what it is. I just want to make sure I have a high motor at all times and never turn it off.”
Seton Hall refused to shut its engine as well, battling back to get within six points late in the second half behind Budd Clark, who rallied the Pirates along with a resurgent Jacob Dar, who had a second straight double-figure night in the scoreboard. The loss may be disappointing, but to Shaheen Holloway, the manner in which his players acquitted themselves was something to take pride in.
“This group was really fun to coach,” he reflected. “For me, as a coach, they gave me everything I asked for. They carried themselves well on and off the court.”
“This stings because we didn’t play well tonight at all. I thought if we played well, we had a chance. But the game wasn’t as close as the score. They dominated us because they came out and they swung first and we didn’t swing back. That’s not us, and that’s what’s disappointing about it.”
St. John’s swung for the fences, hit a home run, and now awaits either UConn or Georgetown to potentially deliver a second straight conference tournament title to its hometown fans. Regardless of the opponent, the hunger has already been satiated and the Red Storm will act accordingly.
“We’re playing for a championship,” Pitino intimated. “We played for the regular season as if our life was on the line. We’re going to play tomorrow as if our life is on the line. Then we’ll worry about the (NCAA) Tournament.”