Underdog Saint Peter's stuns Purdue to become the first No. 15 seed to advance to the Elite 8
- Saint Peter's stunned Purdue to advance to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament.
- No 15-seed has ever made it past the Sweet 16.
PHILADELPHIA — Saint Peter's miracle run in the NCAA Tournament continued on Friday night.
In front of a raucous crowd heavily favoring the 15-seed from Jersey City, New Jersey, the Peacocks stunned the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers, 67-64, to advance to the Elite Eight. No 15-seed has ever made it past the Sweet 16.
Led by guard Daryl Banks III's 14 points and 10 off the bench from breakout star Doug Edert, who was a clutch 7-for-8 from the free throw line, Saint Peter's held on in an up-and-down contest that came down to the wire. Purdue, which held a slim four-point lead going into the half, led with less than four minutes left in the game, but a pair of key jumpers from Banks late down the stretch gave the Peacocks a lead they would not relinquish.
Prior to the game, two Purdue staffers — a communications member and a member of the video department — told Insider that Purdue was treating Saint Peter's like a 2-seed; Saint Peter's had, after all, knocked off 2nd-seeded Kentucky in the first round. But as coach Shaheen Holloway has said again and again during his team's remarkable run, the Peacock players play like they belong on a team like Kentucky or even Purdue.
Despite a talent and notable size disparity, the Peacocks did indeed have the look of a powerhouse team Friday night, never appearing shaken or overwhelmed by the moment.
"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 game. "We just went out there and did our thing. We've been doing what we've been doing all season, which was defending and playing as hard as we possibly can."
Perhaps telling of the Peacocks' team ethos, they had three players score in double-digits, plus two more who scored seven points. Only Banks took more than 10 shots.
Now, having knocked off three higher-seeded teams in a row, the Peacocks are bursting with confidence.
"We know we're just as good as any team in the country," guard Matthew Lee said after the game. "As long as we stick to our game, play defense, and give it 100 percent, we feel like we can hang with anybody."
Saint Peter's will face either North Carolina or UCLA on Sunday in Philadelphia.
"We're happy, but don't mistake, we're not satisfied," Edert said after the game. "We're not satisfied at all. The job is not finished. We feel like we belong, and the more games we win, the more confidence we build."