Jersey City electeds gushed last night after the St. Peter’s University mens basketball team again pulled off a massive upset to become just the third 15 seed to make the Sweet 16 in NCAA history.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“How amazing is this! Congratulations @PeacocksMBB,” tweeted Mayor Steven Fulop.
“Speechless. Sweet Sixteen!,” Ward E Councilman James Solomon wrote on Twitter. Councilman-at-Large Daniel Rivera also used few words to describe how he felt in a Facebook post: “BOOM!!! #ProudPeacock!! #Sweet16!!”
St. Peter’s (21-11) again staved off a challenge from a higher ranked squad from The Bluegrass State, besting Murray State (31-3), snapping a 21-game winning streak for the number seventh ranked team in the tournament.
This stunning victory came just 48 hours after the Peacocks defeated the Kentucky Wildcats, the second seed, 85-79 to suddenly alert the national media of the Jersey City Jesuit school on John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
Also on Twitter, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-10) congratulated the team on their big win.
“They did it again!! #15 St. Peter’s beat #7 Murray State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen! Congratulations to Coach Holloway and his historic team. Only three #15 seeds have ever been to the Sweet Sixteen! Go Peacocks!!”
Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise called this St. Peter’s run the greatest NCAA Cinderella story ever.
“Saint Peter’s is the greatest Cinderella story in a NCAA tournament history!!!! Saint Peters University is the third 15 seed ever to advance to the Big Dance’s second weekend!!,” he tweeted.
“The Peacocks picked up where they left off Thursday with a 70-60 win over the Racers #Proudhudsoncounty”
This marks the first Sweet 16 birth in St. Peter’s history, becoming just the third 15 seed to do so since the March Madness tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
They are also the third team from New Jersey to make the Sweet 16 since Seton Hall University did in 2000, back when St. Peter’s Head Coach Shaheen Holloway was their stating point guard.
Holloway made headlines after the game for remarking on the toughness of the New Jersey and New York guys on his team.
“I’ve got guys from New Jersey and New York City. You think we’re scared of anything?”
“I’ve got guys from New Jersey and New York City. You think we’re scared of anything?”
Saint Peter’s head coach Shaheen Holloway’s confidence is unmatched 👏
(via @SNYtv)pic.twitter.com/5mvFCDXXne
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 20, 2022
