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A trip to the New Orleans for the Final Four will be on the line Sunday, March 27 as the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels will face the No. 15 Saint Peter’s Peacocks in the Elite Eight. This East region final showdown will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Game date: Sunday, March 27
Game time: 5:05 p.m. ET
TV channel: CBS
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Odds: North Carolina -8, Total 133.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook
No. 8 North Carolina 27-9 (15-5 ACC)
First Round: Defeated No. 9 Marquette 95-63
Second Round: Defeated No. 1 Baylor 93-86 (OT)
Sweet 16: Defeated No. 4 UCLA 73-66
KenPom rating: 22 Overall, 19 Offense, 43 Defense
Leading scorer: Armando Bacot (16.4 ppg)
Key stat of tournament: North Carolina’s last 10 victories have come by at least seven points
North Carolina booked themselves a Sunday showdown against Cinderella by knocking off UCLA late Friday night. This was a tight ballgame until the end and Caleb Love ended up shooting lights out in the clutch, burying a pair of threes late to pull the Tar Heels ahead. He finished the game with 30 points, including an incredible 27 in the second half.
No. 15 Saint Peter’s Peacocks 23-11 (14-6 MAAC)
First Round: Defeated No. 2 Kentucky 85-79 OT
Second Round: Defeated No. 7 Murray State 70-60
Sweet 16: Defeated No. 3 Purdue 67-64
KenPom rating: 118 Overall, 259 Offense, 34 Defense
Leading scorer: Daryl Banks III (11.4 ppg)
Key stat of tournament: The Peacocks are the first No. 15 seed to advance to the Elite Eight in tournament history.
The run continues for the Peacocks, who have defied the odds and made the Elite Eight. Keep doubting this team at your own peril. Saint Peter’s has made up for its lack of size with toughness and physicality, causing problems for Kentucky and Purdue despite the talent gap. We’ll see if the Peacocks can make the Final Four as the most unlikely story in March Madness history.