St. John's Beats Xavier 87-82 in OT for Pitino's 904th Win

In a gripping overtime battle at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, No. 17 St. John's defeated Xavier 87-82, handing Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino his 904th career victory and elevating him to third place on the all-time Division I men's basketball wins list.

The victory marked Pitino's second triumph over his son, Richard, in just 17 days. The elder Pitino, now 73 and in his third season at St. John's, previously secured his 900th win on January 24 with an 88-83 comeback from a 16-point deficit against the Musketeers at their home court. With the milestone win, Pitino surpassed former North Carolina and Kansas coach Roy Williams, positioning himself behind only Mike Krzyzewski's 1,202 victories at Duke and Jim Boeheim's 1,116 at Syracuse. Pitino now holds a 5-1 all-time record against his son, who is in his first year leading Xavier.

The game lived up to its familial stakes, extending into overtime after a tense finish in regulation. St. John's trailed late but tied the score at 78 when Oziyah Sellers tipped in his own miss with 16 seconds left. Xavier's Tre Carroll, the Big East's leading scorer, missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer. In the extra period, St....