With their win against No. 3 Purdue on Friday night in Philadelphia, the Peacocks made history by becoming the first No. 15 seed in NCAA tournament history to advance to the Elite Eight. That victory will only serve to further strengthen the fan base for Saint Peter’s.
Wow.
As the clock ticked down, Saint Peter’s established a four-point lead over the Boilermakers and held on for a 67-64 triumph.
On Sunday, they’ll face the winner of North Carolina-UCLA.
For the foreseeable future, the NCAA tournament will be devoid of performances on par with those of the Saint Peter’s Peacocks. It’s significant. It’s very amazing. Above all, it’s everything March is supposed to be.
Shaheen Holloway’s team has become the first No. 15 seed to ever make it to the Elite Eight. In fact, if this were all the Peacocks had accomplished, it would be a remarkable achievement.
The combination of Saint Peter’s tenacious defence and persistent attack has gotten them this far. The Peacocks struggled from the field against Purdue, but Holloway’s squad kept the ball under control and even snagged some critical offensive rebounds late in the game. SPU has been able to ascend beyond the brackets thanks to efforts like these.
After all, the NCAA tournament is designed to get you kicked out. You’ll see that 88 percent of the teams in the field of 68 have already been eliminated.
If you’re a No. 1 seed like Baylor or Gonzaga or Arizona, you’re going to be eaten up by that arithmetic. Saint Peter’s, of course, was the team that sent the Wildcats packing.. That was amazing on its own.
