Box Score Three players finished in double-figures tonight as the Saint Peter's University men's basketball team (6-13, 1-8) dropped a 90-71 decision to the Iona College Gaels (13-7, 7-2) at the Hynes Athletics Center.
Chris Burke led the squad with a career high 18 points and added 11 rebounds, en route to the first double-double of his career. The junior guard finished 7-9 from the field, 2-4 from beyond the arc and a perfect 2-2 from the line.
Blaise Ffrench (14) and Desi Washington (11) also finished in double-figures for the Peacocks. Ffrench added 4 assists and 4 boards in the loss.
Saint Peter's trailed from beginning to end; failing to attain a lead at any point of the contest.
Iona got off to a 5-0 start to open the first half, with the Peacocks scoring their first points on an and-1 layup by senior forward Darius Conley to bring the visitors within 2 (5-3). The hosts proceeded to outscore Saint Peter's 9-4 over the next three minutes to enter the under-16 media timeout leading 14-7. Iona senior guard Momo Jones would pace the Gaels with 9 points to establish the seven-point advantage.
A three-ball by Jones at 13:12 gave the Gaels their first double-digit lead, but Peacock guard Desi Washington responded with a trey of his own on the other end to make the score 21-12.
The Peacocks soon formed a 6-3 run, capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Washington and Blaise Ffrench, to make it a four-point game (24-20) nearing the ten-minute mark of the frame. Saint Peter's got within two for the first time since the opening minutes following four straight points from Chris Burke (26-24 @ 7:57). Less than ten seconds later however, Iona's Tre Bowman created a five-point cushion draining a three-ball off the feed from Tavon Sledge.
Saint Peter's managed to keep it a two-possession game, until the hosts rattled off eight unanswered points to reopen a double-digit advantage (13 points) and force Peacocks' Head Coach John Dunne to call a timeout (42-29) with 1:14 left to play.
Both teams were unable to tack on any more points in the final seventy-four seconds of the half, as the Gaels went into the locker rooms leading the Peacocks 42-29.
For the half, Saint Peter's shot 40% from the floor and 23.1% (3-13) from long distance. Washington drained two of the Peacocks' 3 three-point attempts. The Peacocks made just 2 of 5 free throw attempts.
Iona meanwhile shot 51.9% from the field, 60% (6-10) from beyond the arc and 61.5% from the line.
Chris Burke led Saint Peter's in the half with 10 points on 5-6 shooting and grabbed 7 boards, while Desi Washington contributed 8 points.
Iona's Momo Jones (14) and Sean Armand (10) both finished in double-figures in the first half.
Six seconds into the second stanza, the Gaels were able to establish their largest lead until that point (15) following a two-point basket by Sledge. Iona maintained at least a ten-point advantage, until the Peacocks cut the deficit to nine on two occasions at 16:01 (51-42) and 14:19 (57-46).
Saint Peter's would come within eight (68-60); the closest they had been since the 2:33 mark of the first half, after Darius Conley hit 1-2 free throws at 6:39.
Iona responded with a 10-0 run however over the next two minutes to establish an 18 point lead (4:35). The Gaels never looked back, and created their largest advantage of the game (21) with 56 seconds remaining in the contest.
Overall, the Peacocks shot 49.1% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range and 50% from the line. Iona shot 58.2%, 63.2% and 63.6%, respectively.
Saint Peter's 49.1 field goal percentage ties for the second-highest this season.
Markese Tucker contributed 8 points off the bench, while both Darius Conley and Yvon Raymond finished with 6 points, 3 caroms.
All five of Iona's starters finished in double-figures, while every player who saw action tonight, with the exception of one, recorded at least two points. The Gaels were led by Momo Jones's 24 points.
John Dunne's squad returns home this Sunday, as they host Fairfield at 2pm.
