“Handed them the ball on a silver platter”: College hoops fans react as Rick Pitino’s St. John snags OT win against Marquette

Rick Pitino’s No. 6 St. John's secured one of its biggest wins of the season Friday, defeating No. 20 Marquette 86-84 in a dramatic overtime finish. The nail-biting game at Fiserv Forum saw the Golden Eagles outscore St. John’s by one in the second half, forcing overtime. With more than 10 lead changes during regulation, the extra period was just as intense.

In the game-deciding sequence, RJ Luis Jr., who was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc after halftime, missed a 3-pointer with less than four seconds remaining. Marquette’s Chase Ross grabbed the rebound but fumbled the ball into the hands of Simeon Wilcher. Wilcher quickly dished a timely pass to Zuby Ejiofor, who was already set in the paint and wasted no time sinking an uncontested floater for the game-winner.

Social media erupted as college basketball fans shared their reactions to the intense game:

"St. John’s fans just aged 10 years watching that game" a user wrote.

"This is why a defensive possession isn't over until you get the rebound," a fan added.

"Handed them the ball on a silver platter at a nice supper club," another fan commented.

More fans joined in:

"This St Johns team is sneaky good. They might be one of my sleepers when I fill my bracket out," a fan wrote.

"Pitino NCAA coach of the year !!" a user added.

"Hahaa they cut off when the guy in the front row was giving Zuby the double bird 😆😆," another fan commented.

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How has Rick Pitino’s St. John performed against its Big East opponents?

Rick Pitino gave St. John's its first outright Big East crown in 40 years after the March 1 victory over Seton Hall. The win over Marquette closed out its regular-season slate, reinforcing the team’s dominance in the conference.

The Red Storm will open Big East tournament play Thursday, March 13, against the winner of Wednesday’s game between Butler and Providence.

St. John's swept both potential quarterfinal opponents during the regular season.

Against Providence, St. John’s won two closely contested matchups in December and January, each by just two points.

Against Butler, the Red Storm secured an eight-point win in January, though the Bulldogs adjusted well in February, keeping pace until the final minutes of the rematch.