Everett’s Last-Second Shot Seals St. John’s Victory Over Purdue in NCAA Tournament

St. John’s Red Storm edged out Purdue Boilermakers with a score of 66-64 in a thrilling First Four game in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday night.

Jayla Everett was the hero of the night, making a go-ahead shot with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock.

This was St. John’s 11th appearance in the NCAA tournament and, as a No. 11 seed, they will now advance to the first round to face sixth-seeded North Carolina on Saturday.

The Red Storm took a two-point lead after Everett curled off a screen and scored from the free-throw line with 1:30 left in the game.

However, they lost possession on their next possession and Lasha Petree took advantage of the opportunity to tie the game at 64-all with 30.3 seconds remaining.

After a timeout, Mimi Reid dribbled down the clock before starting the offense with 10 seconds left.

Everett then drove to the right side of the lane, but the ball was knocked loose before she was able to sink a shot from a difficult angle, which ultimately sealed the victory for St. John’s.

Everett ended the game with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while Unique Drake contributed 16 points with four 3-pointers.

Drake was 4 of 6 from distance, and St. John’s finished 11 of 23 beyond the arc. This was a significant improvement from their average of just 6.2 makes per game.

Everett was called for a technical foul with 3:48 remaining in the fourth quarter after arguing with an official over a blocked shot.

Petree celebrated the call and made contact with an opponent, leading to an intentional foul.

Although the two fouls offset, Everett had to sit out for a brief period before returning with 2:07 left.

Purdue’s Petree had 20 points and eight rebounds in the game, while Caitlyn Harper scored 14 points.

St. John’s took advantage of Purdue’s turnovers, scoring 22 points off 16 of them.

During the third quarter, Everett scored nine points, and Drake made St. John’s 11th 3-pointer late in the frame for a 60-45 lead, which was their largest of the game.

Overall, it was an intense game that came down to the final seconds, and St. John’s deservedly emerged victorious.

»Everett’s Last-Second Shot Seals St. John’s Victory Over Purdue in NCAA Tournament«