Saint Peter’s has quickly become the story of the men’s NCAA tournament as the No. 15 Peacocks have stormed into the Sweet 16 with victories over No. 2 Kentucky and No. 7 Murray State.
However, the school’s success on the court isn’t the only feel-good story to come out of the first weekend of March Madness. Another highlight of the early stage of this year’s Big Dance involves the Peacocks’ cheerleading squad.
Saint Peter’s cheerleaders weren’t present for the basketball team’s historic victory over No. 2 Kentucky in the opening round on Thursday. As the Peacocks started to gear up for their second-round matchup, the school’s athletic department shared a photo of some members of the squad wishing the team good luck saying, “wishing we could be there in person!”
After seeing the wistful message, Peacock TV stepped in to help out their namesake. The streaming service tweeted back at Saint Peter’s athletics, telling the cheerleaders that it would fly them out to Indianapolis for the school’s game against Murray State.
“What?! Birds of a feather MUST flock together. Pack your bags Spirit Squad. We’re getting you to the game,” Peacock TV wrote on Twitter just after midnight, less than 20 hours before Saturday’s tip-off. “Can you be ready in…a few hours?! We’re making this happen. #PeacockProud.”
Later that afternoon, Saint Peter’s shared that its cheerleading squad was en route to Indianapolis.
Finally, after a whirlwind 24 hours, the Peacocks cheerleaders arrived in the Midwest for the game. 13News caught up with the squad at a pep rally, shortly before the team’s game against the Racers began.
With the school’s cheerleaders on hand, Saint Peter’s kept the magic rolling against Murray State, punching its ticket to the Sweet 16 with a 70–60 victory. The Peacocks became just the third 15-seed ever to make the second weekend of the Big Dance with the win.
Saint Peter’s is now slated to take on No. 3 Purdue at 7 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully, the school’s cheerleaders will be on hand when the Peacocks take the court at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
