St. John's fans cheer on team in NCAA tournament Sweet 16
The St. John's Red Storm played the No. 1 overall seed Duke in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 on Friday night.
The Red Storm's first Sweet 16 game in more than 20 years tipped off at 7:10 p.m. in Washington, D.C. They made it after defeating Kansas in a buzzer-beater in the Round of 32 when Dylan Darling made the game-winning basket.
St. John's hadn't been this deep into March Madness since 1999, and they were playing in a stacked East Regional.
"For us, we don't really see it as pressure. We just see it as another game. Pressure, that's going to do nothing for you, if you feel pressure," guard Oziyah Sellers said before the game. "You just gotta go out there and play hard and control what you can control. And that's what we're going to do."
"At the end of the day, it's basketball. And that's what you gotta always remember. This is the game that you grew up loving, a game we all played as kids in the backyard," forward Dillon Mitchell said. "It's basketball. Just go out there, do what you do. Play with confidence, that's the biggest thing."
Fans at the Queens campus and throughout the Tri-State Area were fired up to watch the game. They rallied behind the team Wednesday with students and alumni taking part in a special send-off for the historic game.
Gianna Volpe, a student on the dance team, said the campus has been buzzing, and everyone is so excited.
"They've had just such a great run this season, and if they want it tonight, they've got it," she said.
The Red Storm ultimately lost to the Blue Devils, 80-75.
A number of watch parties were held in and around New York City, Long Island and New Jersey:
Long Island
Queens
- Bourbon Street in Bayside
- Rivercrest in Astoria
Brooklyn
- O'Keefe's Bar and Grill in Brooklyn Heights
Manhattan
- Seven Sins in Gramercy Park
Staten Island
New Jersey
- Midland Brew House in Saddle Brook
- Olde Silver Tavern in Manalapan
