— Saturday, March 19th Saint Peter’s Peacocks @ Murray State Racers
After pulling off the upset of the first round on Thursday, the No. 15 seeded Saint Peter’s Peacocks (20-11) will have their hands full Saturday against the No. 7 seed Murray State Racers (31-2). Either way, the matchup guarantees there will be at least one Mid-Major in the Sweet 16. Tipoff on Saturday is set for 7:45 p.m. ET on CBS from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
With Saint Peter’s representing the MAAC and Murray State the OVC, these schools have never met in basketball. Neither has ever reached a Sweet 16. Murray State has had four changes in their history, three in the last decade, while the Peacocks had never won a NCAA Tournament game before shocking Kentucky in overtime.
Banks Leads Peacocks
Saint Peters was great offensively against Kentucky, but they had hung their hat on defense this season. Overall they rank 34th defensively and allow just 62.5 ppg while holding opponents to 39% shooting. The offense averaged 66.5 ppg before scoring 85 in the overtime win on Thursday.
The Peacocks looked like the veteran team on Thursday in Indy, shooting 51% from the field and 53% from 3-point range. On the season, they are 43% overall and 35% from the 3-point range. Daryl Banks III led the way in the win over the Wildcats as he knocked down five 3-pointers and finished with 27 points.
Banks leads the Peacocks on the season with 11.5 ppg and 52 3-pointers made on the season. Forward KC Ndefo averages 10.5 ppg, and Fousseyni Drame leads the team with 6.6 rpg and shoots 57% from the field. Doug Edert has back-to-back games with 20 points, averages 9.5 ppg, and shoots over 90% from the free-throw line.
Racers Streaking Toward History
Murray State has never made a Sweet 16, and they are off to the Missouri Valley Conference next season. They went 18-0 in their final OVC season, and they haven’t lost since a 71-58 setback at Auburn just before Christmas. The Racers boast non-conference wins over tournament teams Memphis and Chattanooga this season, and they also beat Atlantic Sun Tournament champion Bellarmine.
The Racers rank 23rd in the nation in scoring at 79.3 ppg, and they are 21st in shooting at 48.1%. The defense ranks 21st in points allowed at 61.7 ppg while ranking 30th in 3-point defense at 30%. Murray State has allowed just two of the last 12 opponents to score more than 70 points.
One of those was San Francisco on Thursday night as the Dons used a late 10-0 run to force overtime. Murray State won the extra period 19-14 to take the game 92-87 and advance to the second round. K.J. Williams and Trae Hannibal both had 18 points in the win, but the Racers were an uncharacteristic 6-of-21 from 3-point range.
Williams is the leading scorer on the season at 18.2 ppg and also leads the Racers on the glass at 8.5 rpg. Tevin Brown had 17 points on Thursday, and he averages 16.9 ppg with a team-leading 103 3-pointers made. Justice Hill averages 13.2 ppg and a team-best 5.1 apg, while Hannibal averages 9.2 ppg.
Murray State vs Saint Peter’s Betting Analysis
- Murray State Racers -8.5 (-115). Money Line -425
- Saint Peter’s Peacocks +8.5 (-105). Money Line +320
- Total Points 129.5 Over -110. Under -110.
The Peacocks held their own on the glass with Kentucky on Thursday, finishing -1, and they had 15 turnovers while holding UK to 4-of-15 from 3-point range.
The Racers dominated the boards at +8 and will look to do the same against Saint Peter’s. If the Peacocks can limit the Racers on the perimeter, they can keep it close to the end and have a chance to be the Cinderella’s of the tournament.
Betting Pick: Saint Peter’s +8.5 (-110)
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