St Peter's advances to Sweet 16 past Murray State


On Thursday, St. Peter’s stunned Kentucky to become the 10th No. 15 seed to win a men’s NCAA tournament game.

On Saturday, it joined truly rarified air. In a second-round matchup with No. 7 Murray State, the Peacocks picked up where they left off with a 70-60 win over the Racers to secure an unlikely Sweet 16 bid. And like on Thursday, this was no fluke. St. Peter’s was the better team from the opening tip.

The Peacocks never trailed Murray State. They opened a 32-27 half time lead then scored the first eight points of the second half as if to announce to their doubters that this was actually happening. Murray State cut the deficit on multiple occasions, but St. Peter’s had an answer every time.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 19: Clarence Rupert #12 of the St. Peter's Peacocks reacts in the second half against the Murray State Racers during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 19, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 19: Clarence Rupert #12 of the St. Peter’s Peacocks reacts in the second half against the Murray State Racers during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 19, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Now, a Murray State team that entered Saturday at 31-2 is going home with its third loss of the season and its first after 21 straight wins. St. Peter’s, meanwhile, is making plans to travel next weekend to a Philadelphia regional 90 miles south of its Jersey City, New Jersey campus. The winner of Sunday’s game between Texas and Purdue awaits.

With the win, St. Peter’s becomes the third No. 15 seed to ever advance to the tournament’s second weekend. “Dunk City” Florida Gulf Coast was the first to do so in 2013. Oral Roberts repeated the feat just last year. Now St. Peter’s joins the exclusive club.

“It’s an amazing ride,” head coach Shaheen Holloway told CBS after the game. “How ’bout that.

“I told these guys all year nobody works harder than them. The stuff I put these guys through — this is easy. Practice is tough. Kudos to these guys. They deserve it.”



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