Seton Hall – Michigan.
Phil Sellers and the undefeated Rutgers.
Backdoor to UCLA in Princeton.
The greatest moments in the history of the New Jersey NCAA Tournament will be remembered with tongue twisters.
St. Peters joined that group this year.
The Peacocks became the first No. 15 team to beat Purdue to reach the Elite Eight. They were the first University of New Jersey basketball team in 22 years to win the NCAA Tournament Suite 16 against Murray State University.
Here’s a ranking of the top 11 best moments of March’s madness involving the Garden State University whoop team.
1. Seton Hall’s title game heartbreak
The Pirates gave Michigan a one-point decision in the 1989 NCAA Finals for the most controversial foul call in the history of the sport. Hall guard John Morton scored his 35 points, which remains his game record for the title. The last NCAA final decided by one point.
2. Undefeated Rutgers advance to the Final Four
The 1976 Scarlet Knights improved to 31-0 after beating VMI 91-75 in the East Regional Finals. Phil Sellers scored his 16 points and his 12 boards, while Mike Dabney and Eddie Jordan scored 23 points each.
3. St. Peters Makes Elite Eight
Four months after 434 attended an unremarkable St. Peters home opener (a game that wasn’t televised), the eyes of the nation turned to the Peacocks and the NCAA Tournament’s best Cinderella let them down. did not. The team from a small Jesuit college in Jersey City reached the Elite Eights for the first time as a No. 15 seed with his 67-64 victory over Purdue. “Everyone who grew up playing basketball as a kid dreams of moments like this,” said St. Peters Guard Daryl Banks, who led the team with 14 points. It’s a great feeling just to be there for us.”
4. Bill Bradley has 58 goals
After leading Princeton to the 1965 Final Four, Bradley scored a Final Four-record 58 points in the third-place game against Wichita State University. The small forward made 22 of 29 field goals and 14 of 15 free throws as the Tigers ran away with it. This is his second-most points by a player in any game in the NCAA Tournament.
5. St. Peters Makes Sweet 16
The Peacocks defeated 7th seed Murray State in the Round of 32 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 3rd time in history with the 15th seed. all the time.
6. Seton Hall passes Duke
Seton Hall recovered from an 18-point deficit in the 1989 Final Four semi-finals to earn a ticket to the Final Four. Andrew Gaze scored 20 points, Daryl Walker scored 19 points and Gerald Green scored 17 points and he had eight assists.
7. The back door of Princeton
In the first round of the 1996 Big Dance, Gabriel Roulis with a backdoor cut and a perfect bounce from Steve Goodrich with three seconds left as the 14th-seeded Tigers stunned defending national champions UCLA 43-31. I scored a layup on the pass. It was the last of his NCAA Tournament wins for legendary Princeton coach Pete Carrill.
8. St. Peter’s Stan Kentucky
In one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, the 2022 Round of 64, No. 15-seeded St. Peters shocked the nation with an 85-79 victory over No. 2-seeded No. 7 Kentucky.
9. Holloway Forever!
Shaheen Holloway again. After that, Holloway, who was Seton Hall’s senior points guard at his back, drove the Coast he-to-he coast and the rest of the season when the Pirates beat Oregon 72-71 in the first round of 2000. made the layup in 1.9 seconds.
10. Rutgers beat Princeton
En route to the 1976 Final Four, Rutgers defeated old rival Princeton 54-53. The Scarlet Knights 90% free throws after Rutgers coach Tom Young called him two timeouts to cool him down. He was clinging to the lead with four seconds left when he missed his end.
11. Rutgers Ends Drought
Playing in their first NCAA Tournament game since 1991, the Scarlet Knights scored a layup from Geo Baker with 10 seconds left to win 60-56 over Clemson in the first round of 2021. It marked the program’s first big dance win since 1983.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He’s in his AP’s top 25 voters. Please contact [email protected].