Will Saint Peter’s Improbable March Madness Run Continue?
Mid-major teams around the country have to be loving what the MAAC tournament champions are doing as Saint Peter’s eliminated Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight.
While it is hard to consider North Carolina a Cinderella, it took a strong finish to the regular season, including a dominating win at Duke in retiring Blue Devils’ head coach Mike Krzyzewsk, just for the Tar Heels to be a part of the March Madness bracket.
Hubert Davis is looking to become the first North Carolina head coach to lead his team to the Final Four in his debut season since Matt Doherty in 2000
North Carolina (+600) is tied for the fourth-best odds to win the national championship. Saint Peter’s odds are +2500.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and March Madness Odds for Saint Peter’s vs North Carolina. We have plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Cinderella Alive and Well as Saint Peter’s reaches Elite Eight
There wasn’t much buzz around the Saint Peter’s program when the Peacocks headed into 2022 with a 3-6 record. My, how things have changed in the last few weeks.
Saint Peter’s is riding a 10-game winning streak, including an overtime stunner against Kentucky in its opening game in the March Madness brackets. Wins against Murray State and Big Ten power Purdue have the Peacocks stealing the hearts of college basketball fans from coast to coast by becoming the first No. 15 seed to advance to a regional final.
Yep, that actually happened
📰: https://t.co/Mavz1sCIWD#StrutUp🦚 pic.twitter.com/Nh89gTUmYy
— Saint Peter's Men's Basketball (@PeacocksMBB) March 26, 2022
When Trevion Williams scored five points in a span of 34 seconds to put Purdue up by four points with 5:17 left to play, it appeared as if the clock was about to strike midnight for the tournament’s Cinderella story. However, Purdue would make just two more baskets the rest of the way.
Daryl Banks gave the Peacocks the lead with 2:16 to go and Saint Peter’s went 8-for-8 from the foul line in the final two minutes to hold on for the 67-64 win despite being an underdog for the third straight NCAA tournament game according to the March Madness odds. That set up a matchup in the Elite Eight against six-time national champion North Carolina.
Purdue had outscored its first two tournament opponents 60-13 at the foul line but the disciplined Saint Peter’s team held the Boilermakers to a tournament-low 15 foul shots. Saint Peter’s only committed eight turnovers and made all the necessary plays to keep its dream season alive.
Saint Peter’s has covered against the Las Vegas odds in each of its last 10 games.
North Carolina Loves Shot-Making Sophomore Guard
Caleb Love’s first attempt to change the momentum in the final two minutes of a fierce East Region semifinal was off the target but the North Carolina sophomore guard was dead solid perfect in his two shots as a pair of 3-pointers 38 seconds apart gave the eighth-seeded Tar Heels a lead it would not relinquish.
Love iced the game with a pair of free throws as North Carolina took out UCLA 73-66 to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2017. The March Madness predictions didn’t have the Tar Heels making a deep run in the tournament as the No. 8 seed.
What a difference a year makes. North Carolina was also a No. 8 seed in the 2021 March Madness bracket and was blown out by Wisconsin 85-62 in the first round. North Carolina, playing as a No. 8 seed for the fifth time since 1990, is looking to match the 2000 team as the lowest-seeded North Carolina team to reach the Final Four.
Love led the way with a career-high 30 points to become the first North Carolina player since Tyler Zeller with at least 30 points in an NCAA tournament game. Three other starters scored in double figures including Armando Bacot who finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
North Carolina is 7-1 against the college basketball spreads in its last eight games.
Saint Peter’s vs. North Carolina Head-to-Head
Saint Peter’s has faced UNC Greensboro, Western Carolina, North Carolina State and even North Carolina A&T but this will be the first meeting against North Carolina.
North Carolina is 3-0 against No. 15 seeds including an 84-66 win over Lipscomb in 2018.
Saint Peter’s vs. North Carolina Game Information
- Game: Saint Peter’s (22-11) vs. North Carolina (27-9)
- Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Day/Time: Sunday, March 27, 5:05 p.m. ET
- Live Stream: TBS.com
- March Madness Bracket
Saint Peter’s vs. North Carolina Betting Lines
Saint Peter’s vs. North Carolina Prediction
The East bracket has been something to behold with the top two seeds gone before the regionals. The No. 8 and 15 seeds are the last two teams standing.
Saint Peter’s has become the darling of the tournament as the Peacocks look to become the lowest-seeded team in the Final Four.
Saint Peter’s has the No. 20 defensive rating in Division I and that defense will be tested by a North Carolina team that has won nine of its last 10 games.
Rebounding will be a key since North Carolina is +33 in rebounding margin in the NCAA tournament while Saint Peter’s is -5. How the Peacocks will match up inside will be something for those who bet online to consider.
The eight-point line might be a little on the high side so the Peacocks could cover once again but this might be the end of the line for what has been a captivating run by Saint Peter’s.
