St. John's head coach Rick Pitino calls to his players during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rick Pitino returned to Providence and picked up a March Madness victory with yet another school, coaching St. John’s past Omaha 83-53 on Thursday night and into a second-round matchup with longtime nemesis John Calipari.
RJ Luis Jr. had 22 points and eight rebounds for the second-seeded Red Storm, who recovered from a cold-shooting start to pull away early in the second half.