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If your March Madness bracket is busted on Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament, you probably have Elmont’s KC Ndefo and his Saint Peter’s Peacocks to thank for that.
His team shocked the world Thursday night as No. 15 seeded Saint Peter’s defeated No. 2 Kentucky in a stunning overtime contest.
“The emotions were very high, we were very thrilled,” said Ndefo in a postgame press conference. “We came down with a mindset that we’re not losing.”
Ndefo, a senior foward who led the nation in blocks as a junior, scored seven points as Saint Peter’s upset the Wildcats in extra time, 85-79.
The game featured 16 ties and 13 lead changes.
The Peacocks became just the tenth No. 15 seed to win a first-round game since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Saint Peter’s — located in Jersey City — is also the first school to hand Kentucky an opening-round loss under coach John Calipari.
“We can beat anybody with hard work and dedication so that’s what we were doing out there,” said Ndefo, a sports management major.
With an enrollment of about 2,300 students, the Peacocks entered Thursday night’s game as an 18.5-point underdog.
This is the fourth largest upset (against the spread) in NCAA Tournament history.
Here are the top three:
| Date | Underdog | Favorite | Spread | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 16, 2012 | No. 15 Norfolk St | No. 2 Mizzou | -/+ 21.0 | 86-84 Norfolk St |
| March 16, 2018 | No. 16 UMBC | No. 1 Virginia | -/+ 20.5 | 74-54 UMBC |
| March 14, 1997 | No. 15 Coppin St | No. 2 South Carolina | -/+ 19.0 | 78-65 Coppin St |
“We just had to box out, stand our ground and fight out there.” said Ndefo, who also recorded three rebounds and two blocks.
Ndefo, who is the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year for threes years running, is no stranger to performing in big games.
Five years ago he hit a buzzer-beater as an Elmont Spartan to win the Nassau Class A basketball championship. He then transferred to Abraham Lincoln High School in the PSAL.
Here’s a video of Ndefo demonstrating his blocking prowess in a February game against Quinnipiac.
To earn the program’s fourth-ever NCAA Tournament bid, he helped the Peacocks win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship this season.
Ndefo isn’t the only Long Islander on this Peacocks roster. Wheatley Heights’ Brent Bland is a freshman on the team.
Saint Peter’s (20-11) moves on to face Murray State in Saturday’s second round in the East Region.
Reporting from the AP contributed to this report
Top: St. Peter’s forward KC Ndefo (11) drives to the basket ahead of Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe, left, and forward Keion Brooks Jr., rear, during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
