"One of the hardest working teams in America": Rick Pitino hypes up St. John's squad after thrilling OT win vs Marquette 

No. 6 St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino had high praise for his team's caliber after his team's thrilling 86-84 overtime victory against No. 20 Marquette on Friday. His roster displayed resilience and poise in the high-stakes contest after the Golden Eagles seized momentum late in regulation.

Pitino highlighted the challenge of playing at the Fiserv Forum on the hosts' senior night and lauded his player's tendency to never give up and continue working towards a win.

"It is a very difficult place to play on senior night," he said. "This team has a unique character - they never give up. Even though Jones was having an incredible game, they just stayed with it. Simeon made a fantastic play at the end.

"I can't be more proud of this team, they do it every night for me. We're are not the best team but were one of the hardest-working teams in America."

St. John's biggest problem came in Kam Jones, who finished the game with 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. His scoring ability enabled Marquette to outscore Pitino's squad in the second half and push overtime.

RJ Luis Jr. led the Red Storm with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Simeon Wilcher, Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejiofor also scored in double-digits.

Wilcher forced the game home in OT after he forced Chase Ross to turn the ball over in the final seconds. The ball then found its way to Ejiofor, who had his feet set in the paint for a balanced floater.

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Who will Rick Pitino and St. John's face in the Big East tournament

Through St. John's win over Seton Hall on Mar. 1, Rick Pitino guided the program to its first outright crown over the Big East for the first time since its 1984-85 season. The win over Marquette only echoes the school's surprising run.

With the top conference record, the Red Storm have secured a bye game and will begin its Big East slate in the quarterfinals on Mar. 13. They await the winner of the Butler-Providence matchup, set for Wednesday, Mar. 12.

In case St. John's continues its winning run, they will either face Xavier or rematch against Marquette in the semifinal round.