PHILADELPHIA — Daryl Banks III scored the tying and go-ahead baskets that pushed 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s to the brink of the Final Four, the tiny Peacocks thriving off a home-court edge to beat third-seeded Purdue 67-64 on Friday night.

The Peacocks (22-11) became the first 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight, adding the Boilermakers to their NCAA Tournament string of upsets, and will face either UCLA or North Carolina in the East Region final on Sunday.

Saint Peter’s had the fans inside the packed Wells Fargo Center on its side from the opening tip and the arena erupted when Banks tied the game 57-all on a turnaround jumper. He hit a driving layup with 2:17 left that made it 59-57.

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Saint Peter's Matthew Lee reacts during the second half of a college basketball game against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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The Peacocks kept their composure — hey, they’re used to these wins by now after knocking off No. 2 seed Kentucky and Murray State — and held off a Purdue team that gamely tried to bully them inside.

“What they going to say now?” coach Shaheen Holloway said about his team's doubters, a group whose numbers are dwindling.

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Saint Peter's Fousseyni Drame reacts during the second half of a college basketball game against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Saint Peter's Daryl Banks III reacts during the second half of a college basketball game against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Saint Peter's Daryl Banks III, center, goes up for a shot against Purdue's Ethan Morton, left, Jaden Ivey during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Saint Peter's Daryl Banks III, center, goes up for a shot against Purdue's Ethan Morton, left, Jaden Ivey during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Purdue's Trevion Williams, left, tries to get a shot past Saint Peter's Clarence Rupert, center, and Fousseyni Drame during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Almost 30 years to the day that Duke’s Christian Laettner’s overtime buzzer-beater stunned Kentucky to win a regional final at the since-razed Spectrum, Purdue (29-8) and Saint Peter’s pulled off their own Philly classic.

Saint Peter’s fans made the 93-mile ride south from Jersey City to help pack the arena and give the Peacocks more of an edge than they usually have at their bandbox known as Run Baby Run Arena. Consider, just 434 fans were listed as the total attendance for Saint Peter’s home opener this season against LIU.

More fans than that turned out to give the team a Sweet 16 sendoff from campus this week.

Even more basketball fans — yes, even those whose brackets the Peacocks help bust — were suddenly rooting for the tiny commuter college in Jersey City, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan.

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Purdue's Trevion Williams, right, goes up for a shot against Saint Peter's Hassan Drame during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Saint Peter's Daryl Banks III, center, goes up for a shot against Purdue's Jaden Ivey, right, and Eric Hunter Jr. during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Purdue's Trevion Williams, right, goes up for a shot against Saint Peter's Clarence Rupert during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Purdue's Zach Edey, left, Mason Gillis, center, and Sasha Stefanovic battle for a rebound against Saint Peter's Clarence Rupert, second from left, and Fousseyni Drame during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Purdue's Jaden Iven buried an NBA-distance 3 with 8 seconds left that pulled Purdue within 65-64 and momentarily shushed the crowd.

No worries. Doug Edert, whose wispy mustache and goofy persona earned him a fast-food chicken endorsement deal, sank two free throws to seal the win.

The Peacocks hopped the press table and saluted fans in the first few rows. They mobbed each other and hugged and starting waving down fans and friends before they gathered at the basket to celebrate — one more time — the biggest win in program history.

Banks led the Peacocks with 14 points, Clarence Rupert scored 11 and Edert had 10. Trevion Williams had 16 points and eight rebounds for Purdue.

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Saint Peter's players huddle before the second half of a college basketball game against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Saint Peter's Doug Edert, center, goes upper a shot between Purdue's Trevion Williams, left, and Sasha Stefanovic during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Purdue's Jaden Ivey, top, tries to get a shot past Saint Peter's Fousseyni Drame during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Saint Peter's Shaheen Holloway reacts during the second half of a college basketball game against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Saint Peter's KC Ndefo (11) goes up for a shot against Purdue's Mason Gillis (0) during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Saint Peter's Fousseyni Drame, center, and Purdue's Jaden Ivey chase after a loose ball during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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Purdue's Zach Edey (15) goes up for a shot against Saint Peter's Oumar Diahame (24) during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Purdue's Jaden Ivey (23) drives past Saint Peter's KC Ndefo (11) during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Purdue's Eric Hunter Jr., right, passes against Saint Peter's Matthew Lee during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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Saint Peter's KC Ndefo, left, goes up for a shot against Purdue's Mason Gillis during the second half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
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