Saint Peter's became the greatest Cinderella team after a crushing loss and tough-love meeting

• Saint Peter's had a team meeting where they vowed to get tougher after a blowout loss.
• They have since won 10 games in a row, becoming the first 15 seed to make the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

PHILADELPHIA — A vow to get tougher as a team helped turn Saint Peter's season around, and they haven't looked back since.

The Peacocks have stunned three straight upper seeds in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first 15 seed to advance to the Elite Eight and the greatest Cinderella team along the way.

The Peacocks have not lost since February 20, when they had an ugly, 84-70 loss to the Siena. According to Director of Player Development Morgan Williams, the team had a meeting when they got home to get tougher.

"Man, we just kind of got kicked in by [Siena]," Williams told Insider ahead of the Elite Eight matchup against UNC. "We got out-toughed. And we made a commitment — the guys did — they had a meeting when we got back and they were like, we're not gonna let that happen to us again.

"And the rest is history."

It's a moment Williams considers a turning point in the season. After the loss to Siena, the Peacocks were 12-11. They responded with a 70-65 win over Monmouth five days later. They won their next six games in the regular season and have since upset 2nd-seeded Kentucky, 10th-seeded Murray State, and 3rd-seeded Purdue in the tournament.

Along the way, the Peacocks have become the darlings of the NCAA Tournament – a scrappy, big-hearted, defensive-minded squad from Jersey City, New Jersey, lacking (for the most part) the size, talent, and funding of bigger schools.

Ask fans, media members, and team members about the Peacocks and a common theme comes up — this team isn't scared of anyone.

"That's kind of the attitude of this team: it's like we just have a chip on our shoulder," Williams said. "Like we beat these guys who have these super high ranks, beautiful facilities, beautiful uniforms. At the end of the day, it's just five-on-five. We're just as good as they are."

It's a trait the players themselves have acknowledged.

"We know we're just as good as any team in the country," guard Matthew Lee said after the Peacocks beat Purdue. "As long as we stick to our game, play defense, and give it 100 percent, we feel like we can hang with anybody."

Junior guard Doug Edert echoed the same sentiment.

"I don't think any of us were nervous or really cared about how many people were there watching us," Edert told reporters after the Purdue win. "We just went out there and did our thing."

Williams has been with Saint Peter's since the 2011-12 season. It might not need saying, given the historic nature of their accomplishments so far, but Williams said he's never seen a team like this one.

"I've never been around a tougher group of guys before," Williams said. "They just have no fear ... They're not afraid of size. They're not afraid of putting their nose in there to get rebound. And that's why we've been successful these last 10 games."