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The No. 15 St. Peter’s Peacocks continued their Cinderella run by beating the 70-60 Murray State Racers 70-60 in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Tournament on Saturday.
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PAVINS KEEP THEIR DREAM 🦚⁰⁰No. 15 St. Peters hit the Sweet 16 after defeating No. 7 Murray State, 70-60 pic.twitter.com/dJYUeL0bAo
KC Ndefo led with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks as the St. Peters improved to 21-11. The win saw the Peacocks enter the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. St. Peter had the biggest upset of the March Madness with a win over second-placed Kentucky in the first round on Thursday.
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In the list of St. Peter’s doesn’t have a single high school grading player.
They just beat Kentucky and Murray State to the Sweet 16. pic.twitter.com/dG2LeHRfWh
The Murray State season comes to an end with a score of 31-3. The Racers ended their 21-game winning streak with a loss. Justice Hill led the way with 19 points.
Notable statistics
KK Ndefoe, St. Peters: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 blocks
Doug Edert, St. Peters: 13 points (off the bench)
Justice Hill, Murray: 19 points
Tevin Brown, Murray State: 14 points
Control game Saint Peter’s Bigs on both ends
The Peacocks were facing some of the best offense in the country so they decided to slow the game down by turning it into a slugfest. St. Peters relied on his large men at both ends of the floor to get the job done.
Ndefoe was a force throughout the game, dominating the bottom stance on offense and anchoring St. Peter’s inner defence. He was able to look good in paint, which ultimately gave his teammates the opportunity to rush into the layup basket or secure for jumpers.
The Racers are used to playing at a fast pace and have averaged 79.3 points per game this season. But the Peacocks did not allow them to get out and run in the passage, as they usually do.
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KC Ndefo with a WILD chase block for @PeacocksMBB 🔥 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com /Kc976Wgnt3
When Murray State cut the lead to two with just over four minutes left, Doug Edert came up with a pair of clutch baskets to end the game. St. Peter finished the game 11–3.
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In addition to Ndefoe, forwards Hassan Drame and Clarence Rupert played strong defense and also had a combined 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting. The St. Peters did a great job of putting pressure on Murray State’s frontcourt and getting them into trouble. The Peacocks hit 23 of 31 from the free throw line and won the rebounding battle 38–31.
As St. Peter advances in the tournament, he will continue to rely on his frontcourt to make the game ugly for opponents on both sides. The Peacocks will remain a dangerous team as long as they are able to control the game and play through their big men.
Murray State’s Powerful Offensive Fizzles Out
It was unexpected to see the riders fighting as hard as they did on Saturday. Murray State are known for their powerful offensive efficiency but couldn’t find their rhythm against St. Peters.
The Racers were not able to make the fast break as they had hoped, due to the Peacocks slowing down. Without looking at the basket, Murray State switched to shooting outside. But the three-pointers didn’t fall either, and the Racers finished 8 out of 24 from behind the arc.
Four players scored in double figures for Murray State, but they all lacked efficiency. The riders scored 18 of 52 (34.6 percent) from the field in the loss.
It was an unfortunate time for the team’s usually dominant offense when the gas ran out. But Murray State just couldn’t get back on its feet when St. Peter controlled the pace of the game.
What’s next?
Next week, St. Peters will play Tournament No. 3 winner Purdue against No. 6 Texas in the Sweet 16.