St Peter’s advances to Sweet 16 past Murray State
On Thursday, St. Peter’s stunned Kentucky to develop into the tenth No. 15 seed to win a males’s NCAA match sport.
On Saturday, it joined really rarified air. In a second-round matchup with No. 7 Murray State, the Peacocks picked up the place they left off with a 70-60 win over the Racers to safe an unlikely Candy 16 bid. And like on Thursday, this was no fluke. St. Peter’s was the higher group from the opening tip.
The Peacocks by no means trailed Murray State. They opened a 32-27 halftime lead then scored the primary eight factors of the second half as if to announce to their doubters that this was truly occurring. Murray State reduce the deficit on a number of events, however St. Peter’s had a solution each time.
Now, a Murray State group that entered Saturday at 31-2 goes house with its third lack of the season and its first after 21 straight wins. St. Peter’s, in the meantime, is planning to journey subsequent weekend to a Philadelphia regional 90 miles south of its Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey, campus. The winner of Sunday’s sport between Texas and Purdue awaits.
With the win, St. Peter’s turns into the third No. 15 seed to ever advance to the match’s second weekend. “Dunk Metropolis” Florida Gulf Coast was the primary to take action in 2013. Oral Roberts repeated the feat simply final 12 months. Now St. Peter’s joins the unique membership.
“It is a tremendous journey,” head coach Shaheen Holloway instructed CBS after the sport. “How ’bout that. … I instructed these guys all 12 months no one works more durable than them. The stuff I put these guys by way of — that is simple. Apply is hard. Kudos to those guys. They deserve it.”
The social gathering again house appropriately marked the event.
Senior ahead KC Ndefo led the best way for St. Peter’s, tallying 17 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks, together with this late swat to punctuate the win.
Junior guard Doug Edert added 13 factors off the bench, together with this late 3-pointer to stifle a Murray State rally.
As a group, St. Peter’s restricted Murray State to 34.6% taking pictures from the ground, gained the rebounding battle, 38-31, and the turnover margin, 12-10. As beforehand famous, it was the higher group throughout on Saturday.
The Peacocks will face one other robust take a look at towards an influence convention group in Philadelphia. However that is a fear for subsequent week. For now, the second belongs to St. Peter’s.
