"Looooouuuuuuuiiiiiieeeee!" The chant shook Carnesecca Arena as St. John’s honored their legendary coach, Lou Carnesecca, with a game against Kansas State. The Red Storm players knew this one meant more than a win. It was about Lou.

Head coach Rick Pitino made sure of that. He wore a custom-made sweater, just like the ones Lou made famous. "Lou was one of the Top 5 coaches and one of the worst 5 dressers," Pitino joked after the game. But his tone turned serious. "This was about honoring a great man."

The teams came out with fire. Both fought hard but struggled to find their shots. Kansas State broke through first, thanks to Brendan Hausen. The Wildcats' sharpshooter couldn’t miss. He poured in 21 points by halftime. The Red Storm, however, looked lost. They trailed 39-35 at the break.

Pitino wasn’t worried. "We just needed to settle down," he said. "They ran great plays for Hausen, and their transition game was sharp. But we were going to fight.

And fight they did. The second half was all about St. John’s. Zuby Ejiofor lit the spark. His energy and toughness woke the crowd and his team. He finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Kansas State tried to bully the Red Storm, but it only fueled their fire. "It was so loud," Ejiofor said. "We felt Lou with us. And yeah - it was a really ugly sweater Coach wore."

The Red Storm turned the game around with relentless defense and smart offense. “Zuby’s heart was as big as a mountain. He and Kadary gave us such fire.” Pitino exclaimed. Kadary Richmond chipped in 13 points. Every player stepped up. Calls against them didn’t matter. They stayed focused and fought harder.

When the final buzzer sounded, St. John’s had done it. They won 88-71. The arena erupted again, the same chant echoing: "Loooouuuuiiiiieee!"

Pitino stood proudly, reflecting on the moment. "These players made Lou proud today. They made all the former players proud. I’m just the caretaker. This is about them becoming St. John’s men. And today, they learned what that means."

It was more than a victory. It was a tribute to Lou Carnesecca, the man who built the Red Storm into a family. Past St. John’s greats Walter Berry, Felipe Lopez and many others were in the building to show their love. Today, that family celebrated him the best way they knew how—with heart, grit, and love. Lou got his ecstasy one more time.