Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Saint Peter's closed the game on a 14-1 run to come from behind for a 69-60 victory against Fairleigh Dickinson in non-conference men's basketball action on Tuesday.
Marvin Dominique (Miramar, Fla./Miramar [Fordham]) paced the Peacocks (5-7) with 18 points and nine rebounds. Tyler Gaskins (Roswell, Ga./Centennial [Lawson State]) and Desi Washington (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin [Delaware State]) each recorded 17 points in the winning effort. Gaskins established a new career high with his 17-point performance.
The Knights (4-6) were coming off a 76-74 victory against Delaware on Saturday where Fairleigh Dickinson closed the game on a 10-0 run in the final 3:01 of the contest. Saint Peter's was the team on Tuesday that used a late rally to record the victory after scoring 14 of the final 15 points in the last three minutes and 15 seconds of the contest.
After Xavier Harris gave the Knights a 59-55 lead on a layup with 3:43 left, Quadir Welton (Philadelphia, Pa./Math, Civics and Science Charter) started the decisive rally with a traditional 3-point play at 3:15 to make it a one-point game. Matt MacDonald hit 1 of 2 at the line with 3:02 left to restore a two-point lead at 60-58 with 3:02 left, but Fairleigh Dickinson would not record a point the rest of the way. The Saint Peter's defensive stymied the Knights, holding the Teaneck program to 0-for-5 shooting, 0 of 1 from the foul line and forcing three turnovers to close out the contest.
Dominique started a 12-0 run with a traditional 3-point play with 84 seconds left to give the Peacocks the lead they would not relinquish at 61-60. Gaskins then recorded a put-back layup with 52 seconds left for a three-point edge and the team sealed the victory by going 6 of 8 from the foul line.
Mustafa Jones paced Fairleigh Dickinson with 18 points, but only had three points in the final 27 minutes. Darian Anderson also had a good first half with 11 points, but only had three in the final stanza to finish with 14 points and Harris chipped in 10 points in the loss.
The Knights jumped out to a big lead in the first half, but a pair of runs in the second half powered Saint Peter's to the victory in the final game before the holiday to earn its second-straight win against Fairleigh Dickinson.
Jones and Anderson nearly combined to outscore Saint Peter's in the first half after scoring 26 of the Knights 37 points to help Fairleigh Dickinson take a 36-26 margin going into the locker room.
The Knights closed the first half scoring nine of the final 12 points to increase a three-point lead into nine at the break thanks to seven points by Anderson.
The Peacocks used a 22-7 spurt to start the second half to erase a nine-point deficit and take their largest advantage at 49-43 with 12:08 left. Gaskins powered this stretch with nine points while Washington added seven points.
The two teams then battled for the upper hand for the next seven minutes before Fairleigh Dickinson scored five of six points with the game tied at 54 to grab a 59-55 margin. Harris had four of the five points for the Knights in the span and gave the visitors a four-point advantage with a layup with 3:43 left.
Saint Peter's then went on a 14-1 run to close the game and earn the victory. The Peacocks have now won five of their last eight games.
Welton finished with nine points, seven rebounds and four steals while Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) stuffed the stat sheet with six points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals.
After playing 11 times in the first 31 days, Saint Peter's had a nine-day break before Tuesday's tilt. The Peacocks finished the non-conference portion of the schedule 3-1 against the Garden State.
Saint Peter's closes out its non-conference slate at Cornell on Dec. 28. Game time is 4 p.m.
