St. John's Defeats Omaha, Advances in NCAA Tournament

St. John's Red Storm triumphed over the Omaha Mavericks with an 83-53 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, marking their first tournament win since 2000. Initially trailing, St. John's overcame a slow start by excelling in the second half, driven by strong performances from RJ Luis Jr. and Deivon Smith, who helped secure the lead with crucial three-pointers. Despite Omaha's fast start and strategic focus on exploiting St. John's weak 3-point defense, the Mavericks couldn't maintain their momentum past halftime. Omaha, making its first tournament appearance, struggled with bench support and defense, allowing St. John's to dominate the second half. The victory sets up a second-round matchup for St. John’s against Arkansas, underlining Rick Pitino's team’s potential in the tournament.