PROVIDENCE, R.I. — This one started with a shock.

The Red Storm came out slow. Omaha came out swinging. St. John’s looked flat. Omaha looked fired up. For the first ten minutes, it didn’t feel like a 2 vs. 15 matchup. It felt like a street fight.

Omaha hit first. JJ White knocked down a three. Then Marquel Sutton got inside and scored. Then Sutton again. Dunk. Layup. The scoreboard said Omaha 7, St. John’s 0. Coach Rick Pitino didn’t wait. He called timeout.

He didn’t yell. He didn’t panic. He just looked his team in the eye.

Then things started to change.

Kadary Richmond scored off a mid-range jumper. RJ Luis Jr. hit a corner three. Still, Omaha kept answering. Tony Osburn dropped a deep three. Isaac Ondekane fought inside and scored. They were tough. They believed.

The first half stayed tight. Every time St. John’s went on a run, Omaha clawed back. The Mavericks were fearless. They pulled down 24 offensive rebounds. That’s pure heart. Pure hustle.

But at halftime, the score was St. John’s 33, Omaha 28. Just five points. This wasn’t the blowout the fans expected. This was a problem.

The second half? That’s when St. John’s flipped the script.

Luis Jr. came out like a man on a mission. He hit a three from the wing. Then a fast-break layup. Then a thunderous dunk. He finished with 22 points, shooting 8-for-14 from the field. He was locked in. You could see it in his eyes. Every possession, he attacked. No fear.

Richmond was smooth. He finished with 10 points, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds. He controlled the tempo. He calmed the storm before he became the storm.

Zuby Ejiofor? He was a beast. A straight-up wall in the paint. He grabbed 7 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, and scored 10 points. He hit all six of his free throws. Every time Omaha tried to muscle in, Zuby said no.

Simeon Wilcher added 13 points, knocking down 3 threes. When the Red Storm needed a spark, he lit the fuse.

Off the bench, Deivon Smith brought the heat. He scored 8 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and added 3 assists. He flew around like a blur. Omaha had no answer.

Ruben Prey was big on defense. He had a key steal. He knocked down a three in the second half. Every player stepped up. Every guy brought something.

Defensively, the Red Storm slammed the door. They blocked 6 shots. They forced rushed shots. They ran Omaha off the three-point line. Omaha shot just 25.7% from the field and 13.9% from three. That's defense with pride.

In the second half alone, St. John’s outscored Omaha 50 to 25. That’s not a run. That’s a thunderstorm.

Final score: St. John’s 83, Omaha 53.

Omaha’s best player was JJ White. He finished with 15 points, hitting 3 of 6 from deep. But he had no help. Sutton added 11. Isaac Ondekane had 11 boards. But it wasn’t enough.

The story wasn’t about Omaha.

It was about how St. John’s responded.

They didn’t fold under pressure. They didn’t panic. They remembered who they are. They are Pitino’s team. Built on grit. Built on defense. Built on fight.

And now, they’ve earned a shot at something bigger.

Next up: Arkansas. A team led by John Calipari. A coach who knows Pitino all too well. A heavyweight clash. Two titans of the game. One game away from the Sweet 16.

Pitino smiled after the game.

“We made our adjustments,” he said. “And we played like we belong here.”

This win wasn’t just about surviving.

It was about announcing: We’re here. And we’re not done.

Get ready, Arkansas.

The Storm is coming.