Box Score The Saint Peter's University men's basketball team (5-5) recorded season-highs in points and shooting percentage in this evening's 80-67 victory over the two-time defending NEC Champions, LIU-Brooklyn (5-5).
The Peacocks shot a blistering 54.7% from the floor; connecting on 29-53 field goal attempts en route to their highest point total of the year. Prior to tonight, the most points Saint Peter's had scored was 68, in their four-point win over Cornell on November 12th.
Saint Peter's was able to establish their largest lead of the game (17 points) in the second stanza, fueled by a 13-3 run. The hosts managed to head into the half-time break with a four-point advantage; after 6 lead changes and 4 tied scores occurred. Head Coach John Dunne's squad maintained their lead through the entire second half.
"I knew if we had really good energy for forty minutes we'd have a great chance to win", commented Dunne following the win. "I think our defense really picked up late in the first half and we did a good job maintaining it in the second half for the most part. It's difficult to keep intensity once you're in a scoring drought like they were, so once we got the lead it was hard for them to come back."
"At the end of the day, our goal for this year is to compete every game and give ourselves a chance to win, which we have been doing", added Dunne.
Sophomore redshirt Desi Washington led all scorers with 28 points on 9-15 shooting. Yvon Raymond (14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) and Blasie Ffrench (12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) also finished in double-figures.
The Peacocks opened up the game with an early 6-2 lead over the visiting Blackbirds to force first-year LIU Head Coach Jack Perri to burn a time out, less than two minutes into the opening stanza. Saint Peter's maintained an advantage but the Blackbirds soon went on a 6-0 spurt to head into the first media timeout in front by one (8-7).
LIU was able to create separation at 15-11, however back-to-back buckets by Markese Tucker and Desi Washington knotted the score (13:09). A trey by Chris Prescott with the shot clock winding down at 11:26 put the Peacocks in front 18-15; their first lead since the 15:48 mark.
Saint Peter's held their lead until the ninth minute, when a three-ball by Brandon Thompson evened the score at 20. LIU scored six more points to open up a 26-20 lead with 7:29 to play in the stanza. A conventional three-point play by LIU's Jamal Olasewere gave the visitors their largest lead up to that point, 29-22.
A 7-2 run by the hosts managed to cut the deficit to two points heading into the final media time out of the stanza, until a fast break layup on a three-on-one by Yvon Raymond off the dish from Washington tied the game at 31-31 (2:32).
A three-point field goal in transition by Washington gave Saint Peter's a 34-31 lead (1:56); their first advantage in eight minutes. The hosts were able to hold onto their lead to head into the half-time break in front 39-35.
For the half, the Peacocks out-shot the visitors from the floor (59.1% to 46.4%) and from three-point range (33.3% to 30%). LIU did however outrebound Saint Peter's, 14-12.
Washington led Saint Peter's in scoring with 11 points, while LIU's Jamal Olasewere also had 11 markers.
The Peacocks continued their hot streak heading into the second half and were able to go on a 9-2 tear to establish an eight-point lead (50-42) at 16:24. Washington led the way during the spurt with 5 points.
Senior Yvon Raymond soon came up with a steal that led to a fast-break two-handed slam to give the Peacocks their first double-digit lead (57-46) of the contest at 14:47. Five minutes later, Chazz Patterson would find Chris Burke under the basket for an easy layup off the inbound pass to give the Peacocks a 15-point lead (67-52).
Saint Peter's led by as many as 17 points following a three-point field goal by Washington with 6:14 on the clock.
LIU threatened to come back, cutting the deficit to ten (73-63) following a long trey from NBA range by Thompson (2:27). Ultimately, the Blackbirds were unable to get closer than 9 before the hosts secured the thirteen-point victory.
The Blackbirds had four players in double-figures, and were led by Jamal Olasewere's double-double of 19 points, 10 boards.
LIU shot 40% overall, 38.9% from three-point range and 76.2% from the line. Saint Peter's shot 45.5% from long distance, 73.9% from the free throw line.
The Peacocks outrebounded the visitors by a 35-29 margin and committed 11 turnovers while forcing 14.
Half of the hosts' points came in the paint (40), while 21 of their markers came off LIU turnovers.
Saint Peter's returns to action this Saturday, as they host Loyola-Chicago at 2pm in the Yanitelli Center.
