PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Dylan Darling’s legend continues to grow.
The backup in name only was yet again at his best when his team was on the ropes.
This time, he didn’t wait until crunch time.
The 6-foot southpaw was the best St. John’s player on the Amica Mutual Pavilion floor in Saturday’s drama-filled 79-69 victory over Providence that included a fight, seven ejections and nonstop expletive-filled chants at Bryce Hopkins in his return to Friartown.
After a 19-minute delay following a skirmish with 14:25 remaining, Darling put on his cape and led the No. 17 Johnnies to their 11th consecutive win, scoring 16 of his 23 points the rest of the way.
The smallest player on the floor, he also had eight rebounds, three steals and zero turnovers in 27 minutes.
“Some of us needed to step up without one of our leaders, [Dillon Mitchell], and somebody needed to step up,” Darling said. “I just tried to bring energy. We were fired up from the exchange. I just tried to bring energy.”
Darling entered the game with 16:12 left in the second half, and didn’t sit again.
He scored eight straight points during a 13-3 run that gave St. John’s control.
Providence had no answer for him.
The Idaho State transfer has made a habit out of coming up big in clutch, thriving in the final minutes of wins over Xavier, Seton Hall and Connecticut.
He was at it again on Saturday.
“We were without four of our players and Dylan does what Dylan’s been pretty much doing for a good stretch now,” Zuby Ejiofor said.
After Darling sank the game-winning 3-pointer in the final minute of a win at Xavier on Jan. 24, coach Rick Pitino joked that his point guard “has balls the size of church bells.”
He’s only picked up steam since that performance.
“Ever since he got that T-shirt made up, he’s gone to a new level,” Pitino said.
St. John’s set a program record with its 10th consecutive conference victory. The previous mark was set in 1984-85. … The Johnnies have now won at least 20 games in all three seasons under Rick Pitino. They managed to reach 20 wins just once in the previous eight years before his arrival. … They clinched a first-round bye in next month’s Big East Tournament with this win. The top five finishers start the tournament in the quarterfinals, while the other six play in the out-bracket round.
