THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
March 24, 2022 - March 30, 2022 • 36
Sports Saint Peter’s takes a short drive to the Sweet 16 By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews
The saying “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” often applies to sports. The case of the Saint Peter’s Peacocks men’s basketball team is a good example. After losing to the Siena Saints 84-70 Feb. 20 for the second time this season, giving them a record of 12-11 and 10-6 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Saint Peter’s won seven straight games, including a 60-54 win over Monmouth in the MAAC championship, to earn an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament and a No. 15 seed in the East region. Before entering the field of 68 single-elimination tournament, St. Peter’s was 19-11, representing the small, private Jesuit university in Jersey City, New Jersey that began the school year with a combined undergraduate and graduate school enrollment of a little more than 3,000 students. Two wins later, they are 21-11 and have captured the attention of the nation. The underdog Peacocks have taken a short drive to Philadelphia where they will be playing the East’s No. 3-seed Purdue Boilermakers in the Sweet 16 tomorrow night (7:09 tip-off) at the Wells Fargo Center. They arrived there by first de-
27 points against Kentucky’s blue chip roster. Peacocks’ guard Doug Edert, also a junior, contributed 20 points off the bench. Versus Murray senior forward KC Ndefo from Elmont, N.Y. (Long Island) posted 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. Aided by the Nutley, N.J. product Edert, who had 13 points, including 10 straight late in the second half, Ndefo and his teammates erased the Racers from the The St. Peter’s men’s basketball team has captured the attention of the sports world by advancing to tournament and became NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, where they will face the Purdue Boilermakers tomorrow night (Photo only the third 15 seed ever to courtesy of saintpeterspeacocks.com) advance to a regional semifeating the No. 2-seed Kentucky Wildcats 85-79 in 07, reflects his team’s confidence and swagger. final. Oral Roberts last year and Florida Gulf Coast overtime last Thursday and then the No. 7-seed “At the end of the day, every team that made it to in 2013 are the others. Murray State Racers 70-60 on Saturday. the NCAA Tournament deserves to be here,” said Purdue, out of the Big Ten Conference, defeated St. Peter’s head coach Shaheen Hollway, a Holloway, now in his fourth year leading the Pea- Yale 78-56 in their opening game and knocked out 45-year-old Queens native who was a McDon- cocks, after the win over Kentucky. “Every team Texas 81-71 on Sunday to be one of the remainald’s high school All-American in 1996 attending that made it to the NCAA Tournament believes ing sixteen. A win against Purdue would move St. St. Patrick’s in Elizabeth, N.J., before a stellar four- they can advance. It’s about this night.” Peter’s into the Elite Eight, only one victory away years at Seton Hall prior to a pro career from 2000Junior guard Daryl Banks III scored a team-high from the Final Four.
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No. 1 seeds Arizona, Gonzaga and Kansas on edge in March Madness By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
With the East region’s No. 1 seed Baylor Bears suffering a dramatic 93-86 overtime loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels last Saturday, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is down to three No. 1 seeds remaining as it has reached the Sweet 16. Arizona (South region), Gonzaga (West) and Kansas (Midwest) all remain on a path to a title but have had tough battles along the way. Arizona narrowly got by No. 9 TCU 85-80 in overtime on Sunday and will now take on No. 5 Houston tonight (9:59 p.m). Gonzaga had to come from behind in the second half on Saturday to edge No. 9 Memphis 82-78 and have No. 4 Arkansas up next tonight (7:09 p.m.). Kansas was slightly better than No. 9 Creighton on Saturday in a hard fought 79-72
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North Carolina Heels point guard and White AMTar NEWS Plains, N.Y. native R.J. Davis is a key factor in his 01/27/22 0 7 team’s chances of defeating UCLA in their Sweet 74470 22784 16 matchup tomorrow night (University of North Carolina Athletics photo)
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victory and will meet up with No. 4 Providence tomorrow (7:09 p.m.). No game played in this year’s tournament thus far has exemplified the moniker March Madness more than North Carolina blowing a 25-point second half yet surviving a furious Baylor comeback toAM move on NEWS 01034 to Philadelphia AM NEWSto face No. 4 seed UCLA to03/10/22 morrow night (9:39 p.m.) at the Wells Fargo 01/13/22 Center. Both North Carolina and Baylor were patently exhausted in the game’s final stages. “I didn’t want to go home. There was no time to be tired,” said the Tar Heels starting point guard R.J. Davis, a native of White AMschool NEWS Plains, New York and former high 01044 AM NEWSat Archbishop Stepinac in All American 03/17/22 01/20/22 Westchester County. “Our mindset was gather my teammates together and regrouping and to contain our composure and let’s get this win.” Davis led North Carolina with 30 points, including going 9-10 from the foul line, and played a taxing 45 minutes. Davis’ hometown is only AM NEWS 01054 32 miles from Jersey City, New Jersey, location ofAM St. NEWS Peter’s University, whose men’s 03/24/22 01/27/22 basketball has far exceeded the expectations of almost everyone who follows college basketball.
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74470 is22784 An exception the Peacocks themselves, galvanized by their head coach Shaheen Holloway. The 45-year-old Queens native, who starred at point guard for Seton Hall from 1996 to 2000, has instilled an unwavering level of confidence in his players. The No. 15 seed Peacocks01114 defeated No. 2 Kentucky 85-79 in an overtime thriller AM last NEW Thursday and knocked 7off No. 7 Murray 03/10/22 0 74470 22784 State 70-60 on Saturday for a Sweet 16 pairing with No. 3 Purdue in Philadelphia tomorrow (7:09 p.m.). “We came down here [to Indianapolis] on a mission. We weren’t going to be intimidated. We thought we were going to win two games, and we did,”01124 said Holloway AM NEW after conquering Murray State. 03/17/22 0 to recruit guys that 7 have something “I like 74470 22784 to prove, that have a chip on their shoulder, that are tough. Because you have to be tough to play for me.”
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