Mar 18, 2022 - Sports
Saint Peter's beats Kentucky in March Madness shocker
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Saint Peter's, a small school in New Jersey that had never won a tournament game, shocked the world Thursday with an 85-79 (OT) win over Kentucky.
Why it matters: The Peacocks' unlikely victory was the fourth-biggest upset since the men's NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
- 2012: No. 15 Norfolk State (+21.5) def. No. 2 Missouri
- 2018: No. 16 UMBC (+20.5) def. No. 1 Virginia
- 1993: No. 15 Santa Clara (+20) def. No. 2 Arizona
- Thursday: No. 15 Saint Peter's (+18.5) def. No. 2 Kentucky
Wild stats: Kentucky has four assistant coaches who make more than Saint Peter's head coach Shaheen Holloway (~$266,000). The Peacocks' entire budget is $1.5 million, while UK's John Calipari makes ~$9 million per year.
More from Day 1:
- The Spider special: No. 12 Richmond's victory over Iowa was the Spiders' ninth win as a 12-seed or lower, five more than any other team since seeding began in 1979.
- Three OT games: Saint Peter's-Kentucky wasn't the only game that needed extra time. Murray State and Creighton also won OT thrillers, beating San Francisco and San Diego State, respectively.
- 0-4: All four Mountain West teams are out (No. 12 Wyoming, No. 6 Colorado State, No. 8 Boise State, No. 8 San Diego State). The conference is now 0-8 since Nevada reached the Sweet 16 in 2018.
- Team on his back: Teddy Allen (37 points) was New Mexico State's only player in double-figures in an upset win over UConn.
- Monster line: Freshman sensation Chet Holmgren had 19 points, 17 rebounds, seven blocks, five assists and two steals in Gonzaga's 93-72 win over Georgia State.
Go deeper: March Madness betting expected to set record
