Box Score The Saint Peter's University men's basketball team (8-16, 3-11 MAAC) used a strong second half to erase a seven-point half-time deficit and defeat the visiting Siena College Saints (6-19, 4-10 MAAC) this afternoon.
Saint Peter's out-scored the Saints by a 40-23 margin in the second stanza; with almost half of their points (17) coming from the free-throw line. The Peacocks shot 17-21 from the charity stripe in the half, paced by a perfect 10-10 free throw performance by leading scorer Desi Washington.
Washington finished the contest with a game-high 24 points; going 5-7 from the field, 4-5 from three-point range and as aforementioned, 10-10 from the line. The redshirt sophomore added 6 rebounds and 2 steals in the win.
Darius Conley and Chris Burke also finished in double-figures, recording 11 points each. Burke added 5 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals, while Conley pulled down 7 caroms.
Critical to the Peacocks' victory was the squad's ability to shut down the nation's leading rebounder, O.D. Anosike, who managed just 2 points, 7 rebounds in the second half. Anosike went 0-4 from the floor in the second stanza, compared to the first half in which he finished 6-7 and recorded 16 points and 9 rebounds.
Although the Peacocks trailed Siena by 7 at the half-time break, the stanza featured 18 lead changes and 2 tied scores. Neither team was able to lead by more than four until the final eight seconds, when the Saints finished the half on a 9-2 run.
The hosts finished the first half with a 48.3 shooting percentage, while going 4-7 (57.1%) from long distance. Saint Peter's went 0-2 from the free throw line in the frame.
Both Washington and Chris Burke recorded 6 points in the half to lead the Peacocks.
Siena finished a torrid 62.5% (15-24) in the half and knocked down 3 of 7 three-point attempts (42.9%). The visitors converted all 6 of their free throw opportunities (6-6).
Evan Hymes added 8 points to go along with Anosike's team-high 16 first half points.
The Peacocks slowly chipped away at the Saints' lead in the second half, coming as close as a single digit on two occasions (41-40, 43-42), before tying the scored at 45 following a fastbreak layup off a steal by Desi Washington (10:53).
Washington gave the Peacocks their first lead since the five-minute mark of the opening half on the following possesion; draining a trey to make the score 48-45. A layup by senior guard Yvon Raymond off a Saint turnover extended the Peacocks' advantage to 5, until Siena's Rob Poole knocked down a trifecta at 7:42.
A 5-0 spurt over the next thirty seconds gave the Peacocks a 7-point lead (55-48)- their largest up until that point- until a conventional three-point play by Trenity Burdine made it a four-point game.
The intensity picked up as Saint Peter's committed 5 straight turnovers in each of their possesions over the following two minutes, allowing Siena to get within a point (55-54) with 4:09 on the clock.
The Saints missed the opportunity to take the lead however, as Burdine failed to connect on a jumper which led to a Darius Conley layup. Conley converted the layup in traffic and managed to draw contact, ultimately resulting in a three-point play for the Peacocks (58-54 @ 3:19).
In the next two plays, the Peacocks were able to force back-to-back Saint turnovers that led way to free-throw opportunities for Chris Burke and Desi Washigton. They each made both which reopened an 8-point cushion.
Siena came as close as 6 points following free-throws by Rakeem Brookins, but the Peacocks went 8-10 in the final 1:16 to seal the victory.
Thirteen of Saint Peter's last 15 points came from the line. Washington accounted for 8 of them.
Overall, the Peacocks shot 48% from the floor, 53.8% from long distance and 73.9% from the line. Siena shot 39.6%, 21.2% and 88.9%, respectively.
Saint Peter's three-point shooting performance was second-best all season. The Peacocks shot better from long distance only against CCSU on November 11th, when they went 4-7 en route to a 57.1 shooting percentage.
The Peacocks out-rebounded Siena by a 72-62 margin and forced 19 turnovers while committing 16.
Siena was led by Anosike's 18 points, 16 rebounds. Brookins added 15 points in the loss.
Saint Peter's returns to action this Thursday, as they travel to Lawrenceville, NJ to face the Broncs of Rider University at 7pm.
