Saint Peter’s becomes first No. 15 seed to reach Elite Eight in NCAA tournament history
It is possible that earlier than this month, many sports activities followers had not heard of Saint Peter’s, a college in Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey, with an enrollment of two,637.
That is all modified now should you’ve been following the boys’s NCAA match. The Saint Peter’s males’s basketball group has made historical past by changing into the primary No. 15 seed to succeed in the Elite Eight, upsetting the No. 3 seed Purdue Boilermakers 67-64 in Philadelphia on Friday night time.
Guard Doug Edert stated the group was energized by the group.
“We had a terrific crowd right this moment,” Edert stated. “The entire surroundings, it was simply unreal. I do not assume any of us have been nervous or actually cared about how many individuals have been there watching us. We simply went on the market and did our factor. We have been doing what we have been doing all season, which was defending and enjoying as exhausting as we probably can. After which the feelings on the finish, once more, we’re making historical past and we sit up for making extra historical past.”
The Peacocks, the third No. 15 seed to advance to the Candy 16 in historical past, will face North Carolina within the Elite Eight on Sunday after the Tar Heels defeated UCLA 73-66.
That is St. Peter’s fourth NCAA match look general.
After almost a month between video games from December 18 to January 14, resulting from a Covid-19 outbreak on campus, SPU had gone 18-5 within the 2022 calendar yr to win the MAAC title and advance to the Candy 16 for the primary time in program historical past.
Coach Shaheen Holloway stated the break helped the group.
“It was every little thing to us,” Holloway stated. “We have had an opportunity to get like a mini-camp. We did not play in 28 days in order that they acquired an opportunity to go on the market. Issues weren’t going properly within the first half of the season. It acquired me an opportunity to essentially change some issues round, return and watch movie and get again to the drafting board. The break was every little thing for us.”
Saint Peter’s busted many brackets within the spherical of 64 final week when the Peacocks stunned No. 2 seed Kentucky. They then upset No. 7 seed Murray State within the spherical of 32.
The prospect for 15 seeds to advance started in 1986, when the nationwide match first expanded to 64 groups.
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