Kentucky's John Calipari on Loss to Saint Peter's: 'They Deserved to Win the Game'

The No. 2 seed Kentucky Wildcats were upset by the 15th-seeded Saint Peter's Peacocks 85-79 in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday in Indianapolis, and head coach John Calipari didn't mince words after the loss: 

Calipari added: “Sad day, not just we lose a game, it’s that the season ended with this group and how much joy they brought to me and our staff.”

Calipari has been head coach of the Wildcats since the 2009-10 season and hadn't ever lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Before Thursday, Kentucky's worst performance in the tournament came during the 2015-16 season when it lost in the second round.

Under Calipari, the Wildcats have been to six Final Fours and have won one championship, which came in 2012. 

Thursday's loss was truly a disappointing one for Kentucky, especially after a big performance from Oscar Tshiebwe, who finished with 30 points, 16 rebounds and two assists. However, aside from Tshiebwe, much of the Wildcats' roster underperformed. 

TyTy Washington Jr., the team's second-leading scorer this season, finished with just five points, while Kellan Grady and Keion Brooks Jr. had just eight points each. 

As for Saint Peters, they were powered by Daryl Banks III, who finished with 27 points, and Doug Edert, who put up 20 points. Banks and Edert have been two of the Peacocks' leading scorers this season. 

Saint Peters, which has made just four NCAA tournament appearances in school history, moves on to face either Murray State or San Francisco in Saturday's second round.