Darling’s late 3 helps St. John’s upset No. 3 UConn

NEW YORK – Central Valley High graduate Dylan Darling knocked down a late 3-pointer to help No. 22 St. John’s secure a statement victory over third-ranked UConn.

The Red Storm claimed their first win over a top-three opponent at Madison Square Garden since 2011, knocking off the Huskies 81-72 on Friday night.

Darling’s 3 put St. John’s (18-5, 11-1 Big East) ahead 72-67 with about three minutes left, and the Red Storm held on to snap UConn’s 18-game winning streak. The Huskies (22-2, 12-1) hadn’t lost since Nov. 19 against Arizona.

Darling, a junior guard who played his first two college seasons at Washington State, finished with nine points (3 of 4 from the field), two assists, one rebound and one steal in 21 minutes off the bench.

The former Washington Class 4A player of the year entered the day averaging 5.8 points, 2.2 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game in his first season with St. John’s, which has emerged as a contender in the Big East, and nationally. Darling has appeared in 21 games with six starts.

With the win, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino moved into a tie for third all-time in major college basketball with 903 career victories.

Before he became a key player for a nationally notable team in one of college basketball’s top conferences, Darling spent two years in Pullman, appearing in 28 games with four starts under coach Kyle Smith at WSU – from where both of Darling’s parents graduated.

Darling transferred to Idaho State for the 2024-25 season and shined in his one year with the Bengals, earning Big Sky Conference Player of the Year honors after averaging 19.8 points and 5.7 assists per game.