Peacock ran
St. Peters scored the first eight points in the second half and now holds a 40-27 advantage over Murray State early in the second half. The Racers have scheduled a timeout and will seek to regroup.
KC starts hot
Immediately after the intermission KC Ndefo scored two more points, which gave him 13 per game. The Peacocks then made a turn and then Matthew Lee buried the tray to get ahead by 10 points. At the beginning of the second half, “St. Peter” leads in the top 10.
Peacocks lead by half
KC Ndefo has 11 points and Clarence Rupert has five to bring St. Peters to 32-27 at the break. They limited the Racers, who are averaging 80 points per game, to just 27, and they shoot just 32 percent off the field.
Murray is headed by nine points by Justice Hill. DJ Burns and reserve Nicholas McMallen play with three personal fouls each.
KC time
KC Ndefo is averaging 10.5 points per game, but he already has 11 in the first half. With 2:11 left, St. Peter’s lead is 29-27. The peacocks are not far behind.
Unpleasant troubles
It turns into a very physical game, and both teams have players with multiple fouls. Matthew Lee of St. Peter’s just took his second, while Mary State has four players with two fouls, including starting DJ Burns and KJ Williams. St. Peter leads with a score of 24-22 from 3:45 to the end.
Cited
St. Peter’s coach Shahin Holloway about his team’s game during a timeout on CBS. “You play like shit!” Imagine if they lost?
Far success
Saint Peter’s defended well with a three-point attack, but the Racers are going pretty well from the city center. They just made a pair of trays and scored three of eight in the first half. The Peacocks led 21-19 with 5:39 remaining until the break.
This is a foul!
Great man Racers DJ Burns has just recorded his second foul in the game and this could be a challenge for Murray. The Peacocks gave the Racers paint problems during the first half of the first half, and Murray State sends Burns to the bench. Eight minutes before the game in the first half, St. Peter’s leads 14-13.
Block party
KC Ndefo has two of Peacock’s three blocks early in the start, and both teams are playing well in defense. In the middle of the first half we have the number 11.
Helping hand
Matthew Lee hasn’t scored yet, but plays a great role as a facilitator. He has assists on Peacock’s first three goals from the game early. The game is a 9-9 draw, 13 minutes before the end of the first half.
Defensive gem
The Racers have yet to hit the floor, going 0-5-5, and are 4-2 behind after five minutes of play. Murray also made two turns, one less than Peacock.
Better to start
KC Ndefo scored the first points in the game on standstill. It’s a much better start than he was in the first game, where he had two personal fouls in the first 90 seconds of the game and spent the rest of the first half on the bench.
Slow start
Both teams missed shots and threw the ball in their first two possessions. We passed a little over a minute of the game, and the score is not there yet. Both teams seem locked in defense.
Starting lineup
Probable starting teams of St. Peter: guard Daryl Banks III, guard Matthew Lee, forward Hassan Drama, forward KK Ndefo and forward Clarence Rupert. The main reserve is security guard Doug Edert.
Racers will launch Justis Hill, Tevin Brown, Tre Hannibal, DJ Burns and KJ Jay Williams.
St. Peter v. Murray: at a glance
The Peacocks advance to the second round, beating second-seeded Kentucky 85-70 in overtime in the first round game. Daryl Banks III led St. Peter with 27 points. Doug Edert added 20.
The Racers used a balanced attack in their game in the first round to beat San Francisco 92-87. KJ Jay Williams and Tre Hannibal scored 18 points each, and Tevin Brown added 17. Murray State, seven seeded, has a score of 31-2 for the year.
The Peacocks are looking for their second victory in the history of tournaments. Their first was in the first round. Both teams needed overtime in the first game, so both teams have the potential to win in close games.
Whichever team wins will go down in school history, none of the teams ever reached Sweet 16.
