The most iconic and exciting college tournament is in session for March. The March Madness tournament is always a sight to behold. 68 of the best college teams compete to win the glory NCAA title. Moreover, as the name suggests, the tournament brings in immense madness. From game-winners to upsets, it does it all. And March Madness saw its first upset as the Peacocks took down the Kentucky Wildcats. Even former Laker great Magic Johnson couldnât believe his eyes.
The Kentucky Wildcats have a long history in the NCAA tournaments. They have won the title 8 times through the years and have had some big names come out of the college. Players like Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, and Bam Adebayo all started from Kentucky before booming in their NBA journeys. Hence, they are always one of the front runners in the tournament. However, it seems this time around; they were in for an upset.
Just finished watching St. Peters upset Kentucky 85-79 in overtime! Wow wow WOW, March Madness is here!! đ¤Ż
â Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 18, 2022
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Going up against the Saint Peterâs Peacocks, the Wildcats took a loss in a thrilling overtime game in the first round of the East Region.
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Kentucky takes surprise March Madness exit
Checking into the game, Kentucky Wildcats came in as the favorites. Coming in as the second seed, no one expected them to take a loss in the first round. However, the 15th seeded Peacocks made their minds to defy the odds. They dragged Kentucky into an overtime thriller and picked out a surprise win from out of nowhere. This even left NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson in absolute shock.
Despite a monstrous effort from Oscar Tshiebwe, the Wildcats couldnât avoid the disaster in front of them. The St. Peterâs Peacocks emerged as a much better team on the night.
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Daryll Banks III was on fire for the Peacocks in their win against the Wildcats. Despite averaging just 11 points for the season, he shined brightly under the lights. Banks posted 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists to guide St. Peterâs through. In addition, Doug Edert emerged as the hero off the bench, putting up 20 points on 5-7 shooting. Despite not having the talent of Kentucky, the Peacocks embraced the underdog mindset and made the impossible happen.
The Wildcats saw one of the best players in the tournament go absolutely ham. Oscar Tshiebwe put up a monster stat line posting 30 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Despite his galactic effort, the Wildcats couldnât hold on. They shot just 42% from the floor as a team. However, the gap between a win came due to free throws. Kentucky missed 12 of their 35 free throws in the game in the 879-85 overtime loss.
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With March Madness already bringing in some of the craziest stories, do you think the Peacocks could be the dark horses this season? Let us know in the comments below.