The magical ride continued on Friday night as Saint Peter's became the first 15 seed to advance to the Elite Eight after defeating Purdue, 67-64, in Philadelphia. Saint Peter's became the first MAAC team to advance to the Elite Eight and picked up their first win over a current Big Ten team.
The Peacocks forced 15 turnovers and held Purdue to just 24 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Daryl Banks III scored a team-high 14 points, while Clarence Rupert scored 11 points as he led the defense to hold Purdue's Zach Edey to just 11 points in 16 minutes.
For Saint Peter's, they continue to show the nation a rugged, hard-nosed style of play that typically isn't showcased in the NCAA Tournament. And their opponents are starting to notice.
"I thought they (Saint Peter's) were excellent today in their effort," said Purdue head coach Matt Painter. "They beat us like they beat the other two teams. They had a strong will, grimy, tough, into you, and Shaheen Holloway has done an unbelievable job there at Saint Peter's."
As Saint Peter's move into uncharted territory for a 15 seed, their confidence only seems to grow game by game. Even when facing deficits, foul trouble and questionable calls, there is a calm that the Peacocks have that is almost unnerving for their opponents. It's like a sense that they have been here before and that attitude is dangerous in a winner-take-all format.
"I mean, we're happy, but don't mistake, we're not satisfied. We're not satisfied at all," said Saint Peter's guard Doug Edert. "The job is not finished. We feel like we belong, and the more games we win, the more confidence we build. We have a great amount of momentum going into the next game and we're going to play as hard as we can just like we did all season to keep doing what we've been doing."
It now comes down to Sunday's game against eighth-seeded North Carolina. For the Tar Heels, Caleb Love is the player to watch for on the floor. Love scored 30 points in their Sweet Sixteen against UCLA and has become North Carlina's go-to player when they need to score. Saint Peter's needs to look at the Purdue tape and replicate how they shut down Jaden Ivey (nine points, six turnovers) on Friday. If the Peacocks can do that, North Carolina will have to rely on other players.
On the flip slide, Saint Peter's had massive trouble against Purdue's Trevion Williams inside (16 points and eight rebounds). Armando Bacot and Brady Manek are two of North Carolina's big men who can give Saint Peter's fits. It will fall on Rupert and KC Ndefo (if not in foul trouble) to keep those two at bay if Saint Peter's has a chance to advance to New Orleans.
Let's make one thing clear…Saint Peter's is not your typical 15 seed. As someone who has covered them over the last three years, they are a team that could compete with any team in the country. Shaheen Holloway has shown that he is one of the top coaches in the country and he will be a hot commodity whenever the Peacocks' season ends.
Until then, it's Saint Peter's world and we are just living in it.
Where To Watch Saint Peter's vs. North Carolina
The Peacocks face the Tar Heels on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center. The game will be telecast on CBS.
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