SPRINGFIELD, MA – The #8 Marist College Red Foxes (14-17) used an 11-0 run late in the second half to end the season of the #9 Saint Peter's College Peacocks, 64-57 tonight in the First Round of the 2012 MAAC Basketball Championships. The Peacocks had taken the lead, 43-40, but the Red Foxes then scored the next 11 points to take a 51-43 lead and never looked back. Darius Conley scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
The Peacocks won the tip and scored six quick points to take a 6-0 lead. Marist responded and tied the game at eight with 13:07 to play in the first half. Saint Peter's then led 13-11, but an 11-2 run by the Red Foxes gave them a 22-15 lead at the 3:26 mark. Saint Peter's scored the next four points to cut the deficit to four points and went into the break trailing 26-21.
Conley led all scorers with 10 points. Marist had three players with seven in the first half. The Peacocks shot 40% from the field, while the Red Foxes shot 36%. Saint Peter's outrebounded Marist 17-15, but turned the ball over eight times while forcing just four.
Marist scored the first basket of the second half, but Saint Peter's then reeled off six straight to make the score 28-27. The Red Foxes responded with five straight to up their advantage to 33-27 at the 15:58 mark. Saint Peter's then trailed 35-29, but went on a 7-1 run to tie the game at 36 with 12:38 to play.
The score was then tied at 38 and 40, but Lamin Fulton hit a three that gave the Peacocks the lead back 43-40. Marist then went on an 11-0 run sparked by a pair of threes by Chavaughn Lewis, giving the Red Foxes a 51-43 lead with 4:56 to play. Saint Peter's could only get as close as four points the rest of the way and fell by the seven-point margin.
Conley was 9-14 from the field and had a block. Brandon Hall, in his final collegiate game, scored the final eight points for the Peacocks and finished with 12. Fulton also scored 12 points, while Blaise Ffrench added 10 points. Lewis finished with 17 for Marist. The Peacocks shot 46.3% from the field, while the Red Foxes shot 44.5%. Saint Peter's outrebounded Marist 34-29, but committed 14 turnovers which led to 19 Red Fox points, while forcing just nine.
