{
  "id": 16561384,
  "title": "St. John’s men’s basketball wrangles Texas in encouraging exhibition finale",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/st-johns-mens-basketball-wrangles-texas-in-encouraging-exhibition",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-26T04:40:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/st-john-men-basketball-wrangles-044014518.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 25, 2026, St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team showcased their prowess by defeating Texas Longhorns 87-74 in an exhibition finale at Madison Square Garden. Head coach Rick Pitino was impressed by his team's performance, stating that they had to make a \"quantum leap\" from their previous four-overtime loss to Rutgers. The Red Storm dominated Texas from the start, capitalizing on ten turnovers by the Longhorns, turning them into 14 points and limiting Texas to a 42.3% shooting percentage before halftime. The offensive trio of Tounde Yessoufou, Ian Jackson, and Keyshawn Hall led the charge, scoring 65 of the Red Storm's 87 total points and shooting 56% from the field. Yessoufou, in particular, shined with 23 points, five assists, and five steals, while Jackson delivered a complete game with 18 points, three triples, four assists, and six rebounds. Keyshawn Hall also contributed 13 points in the second half, solidifying the team's performance. The Red Storm's win sets them up for their season opener against Monmouth on November 2, 2026, at Carnesecca Arena.",
  "summary": "Tounde Yessoufou and the Red Storm showed what they can accomplish in their wire-to-wire victory over the Longhorns.",
  "key_points": [
    "St. John's Red Storm defeat Texas Longhorns 87-74 on October 25, 2026",
    "Red Storm's Tounde Yessoufou leads with 23 points, 5 assists, 5 steals",
    "Win sets up Red Storm's season opener against Monmouth on November 2, 2026"
  ],
  "editors_take": "This decisive exhibition victory signals a significant developmental leap for Rick Pitino’s squad as they transition from a recent overtime loss toward a more cohesive and efficient offensive unit.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}