St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino had a suggestion for the NCAA following his team’s crushing loss to Duke in the Sweet 16 on Friday night: let the losers go first during post-game interviews.
Pitino expressed frustration at being left waiting while Duke celebrated their victory. He proposed that the losing team should be interviewed first, allowing them to process their disappointment before the winning team is celebrated.
Duke rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half to defeat St. John’s 80-75, advancing to the Elite Eight where they will face UConn. Pitino attributed the loss to defensive breakdowns, noting that Duke’s aggressive playstyle was too much for his team to handle.
Caleb Foster returned from injury to score 11 points in the second half, while Isaiah Evans added 25 points and Cameron Boozer totaled 22 points and 10 rebounds for St. John’s.
Duke guard Caleb Foster drove past St. John’s guard Dylan Darling during the decisive moments of the game.