St. John’s defeated Creighton on Saturday night to earn the school’s first Big East Tournament title in 25 years thanks to Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, and he plans to celebrate in a big way.
After toppling the Blue Jays 82-66 behind stellar performances from RJ Luis Jr. and Zuby Ejiofor, Pitino sat down with FOX Sports to discuss what the victory meant to him.
St. John’s Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino after winning the Big East Championship against the Creighton Bluejays at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2025. (Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images)
“We just wanted to play every game in the Big East Tournament as if it was the first round, second round and third round [of the NCAA Tournament],” Pinito said.
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“We did that. The pressure was mounting on us, but we came through in a big way.”
Despite trailing at the end of the first half, St. John’s rallied in the second half, making 14 straight shots from the field. Luis scored all but two of his 29 points after halftime and Ejiofor added 20 points to earn the Big East title on Saturday.
“In the beginning of the year we had our goals, but we were just hoping to make the tournament – to get in,” Pinito added.
St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino gestures after defeating the Creighton Bluejays to win the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2025. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
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But before St. John’s learns of its fate on Selection Sunday, the legendary coach revealed to FOX Sports his plans to celebrate the historic win.
“I’m gonna drink a quart of Jameson’s,” he said with a laugh.
Pitino is the first coach in history to make it to the NCAA Tournament with six different teams. The win sealed St. John’s automatic bid to the Big Dance for the first time since 2019.
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“Great win for the city. Great win for our university. You hear it all along that it’s New York’s team, and it truly is,” Pitino said. “As a New Yorker myself, I’m very, very proud that St. John’s has gotten to this level.”
St. John’s Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor is greeted by head coach Rick Pitino as the game ends against the Creighton Bluejays at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2025. (Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images)
St. John’s is expected to earn the No. 2 seed on Sunday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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