ALBANY, NY – The Saint Peter's College Peacocks (5-18, 4-8 MAAC) used a pair of second half runs to overcome a 13-point deficit and defeat the Siena College Saints (10-12, 5-7 MAAC) 63-58 tonight. The Peacocks trailed by 13 early in the second half and then by five midway through the second half, but a 14-1 run over a six- minute stretch gave them an eight point and the eventual win. Darius Conley led the Peacocks with 13 points. Brandon Hall scored nine points in the final 6:42 of the contest. He put the Peacocks ahead and then iced the game by scoring the final four points.
Saint Peter's won the tip and took a 5-2 lead, but the score was tied at five early. Siena then used a 12-0 run to take an 18-5 lead with 10:45 to play in the first half. The Peacocks scored the next four to get to within nine, but seven straight by Siena gave them their largest lead at 25-9 at the 7:24 mark. The Peacocks then ended the half on a 10-3 run to make the halftime deficit nine points at 28-19.
Yvon Raymond scored six points off the bench to lead the Peacocks. Kyle Downey scored 13 points for the Saints. Siena outrebounded Saint Peter's 18-14 and shot 43.5% from the field and held the Peacocks to 34.6%. The Saints did commit eight turnovers to the Peacocks six.
Siena scored the first four points of the second half to extend their lead to 13, but the Peacocks then went on a 14-4 run to cut the deficit to three points at 36-33 with 15:03 to play in the second half. Siena responded with five straight to go back up by eight, but the Peacocks immediately cut it back to four points at 41-37 at the 13:05 mark.
The Saints' lead pin balled from four to seven over the next four minutes and they led 48-43 with 9:20 to play. The Peacocks then went on a 14-1 run that included a jumper by Hall to give them the lead and a three pointer by the senior to put them up by seven. The Peacocks had their largest lead at 57-49 with 3:17 to play.
Siena then scored for straight to cut the deficit to four points. Raymond went 1-2 from the line to make the score 58-53. Siena scored on their next possession to make the score 58-55, but Lamin Fulton went 1-2 from the line to put the Peacocks up by four. Evan Hymes then hit a three-pointer with 19.2 seconds left to make the score 59-58. Hall then scored the last four points of the game as he hit a pair of free throws with 13.7 seconds to play and then made a steal and fast break lay-up with five seconds left to make the final score 63-58.
Conley was 6-13 from the field and also had six rebounds. Hall, Raymond and Fulton each scored 11 points, Raymond also had seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Downey scored 15 points to lead Siena, while OD Anosike scored nine points and had 11 rebounds, breaking a streak of 17 straight games with a double-double. The Peacocks shot 47.9% from the field, including 63.6% in the second half. Siena shot 40.7%. Saint Peter's was outrebounded 33-29, but they forced 16 turnovers while committing 12.
This is the second straight season that the Peacocks have swept the Saints. The last time was in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. That was also the last time that Saint Peter's has won two games in a row at Siena. The Peacocks came back from a halftime deficit for just the second time this season tonight.
Saint Peter's returns home for a Super Sunday match-up with the Loyola Greyhounds. Tip-off is now set for 12pm on Sunday in Jersey City.
