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PROVIDENCE, R.I. — When Rick Pitino is at his best, and age 72 hasn’t kept him from being at his best, he can take a team that is The Hunted and transform it into The Hunter.

For 20 minutes, St. John’s played as The Hunted. The Hunter showed up with a vengeance in the second half. The Real St. John’s, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/21/sports/st-johns-cruises-to-dominant-march-madness-win-over-omaha/">an 83-53 winner</a>, showed up in the second half.

That is when every last Johnnie began honoring Pitino’s mandate to play the game as if it were the last game they were going to play.

For 20 minutes, St. John’s played as The Hunted. The Hunter showed up with a vengeance in the second half of their March Madness 2025 win.{ai:summary}Rick Pitino, at age 72, led St. John's to a dominant 83-53 victory after a slow start, transforming the team from The Hunted to The Hunter in the second half. The players embraced Pitino's philosophy, playing with urgency and intensity. #sports

St. John’s passed its first March Madness task as The Hunter — and now John Calipari awaits

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