NCAA BASKETBALL: Dylan Darling buzzer-beater lifts No. 5 St. John's past No. 4 Kansas

SAN DIEGO — Dylan Darling’s last-second layup lifted East Region No. 5 seed St. John’s to a thrilling 67-65 victory over No. 4 seed Kansas on Sunday, sending the Red Storm to their first Sweet 16 since 1999.

St. John’s (30-6) held control for much of the second half, leading by as many as 14 points before Kansas (24-11) rallied, fueled by Darryn Peterson’s 21 points, to tie the game at 65. Peterson made a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left, and the Jayhawks tried to disrupt St. John’s final play with intentional whistles.

With less than four seconds remaining, Kansas’ defense broke down on the inbounds play. Darling, 0-for-4 from the floor before that moment, drove through the middle and laid the decisive basket off the glass as the Viejas Arena crowd erupted.

"There really wasn’t time for anything else," Darling said. "Oziyah (Sellers) and Joson (Sanon) were in. I told them to go to the corners, and Zuby (Ejiofor) sets a flat ball screen at the top. I saw the lane and just went for it."

St. John’s coach Rick Pitino had some pointed words for Darling earlier in the game after missed long-range attempts. “I told you to stop aiming and shoot it,” Pitino said, referencing an earlier airball.

Shooting struggles affected both teams. St. John’s scored 14.5 points below its season average, while Kansas finished 10.4 points below theirs. The Red Storm made just 25 of 69 shots (36.2%), while the Jayhawks hit 24 of 54 (44.4%). A key difference was 3-point shooting: Bryce Hopkins led St. John’s with 18 points on 6-of-9 from deep, while Ejiofor added 18 points and nine rebounds. For Kansas, Peterson and Melvin Council Jr. scored in double figures, with Council adding nine rebounds, and Flory Bidunga contributing 12 points.

Ejiofor made pivotal plays in the final minutes, including a putback and a steal off Peterson, leading to another basket.

Sunday’s win also marked St. John’s first consecutive 30-win seasons since 1984-85 and 1985-86. "For me, being a kid from New York, from the Bronx, it’s special…to see what coach Pitino has built," said guard Ian Jackson.

—Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media/Reuters