Box Score
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – December 23 is also known as Festivus if you are a Seinfeld fan. Festivus is a made up holiday that includes the "Feats of of Strength," an event that will end the Festivus celebration. Saint Peter's used its own version of "Feats Of Strength" in one of its big men in junior Quadir Welton (Philadelphia, Pa./Math, Civics and Science Charter), who scored six points in a decisive 10-0 run in the second half on his way to 17 points to lift Saint Peter's to a 56-45 victory against St. Francis Brooklyn in non-conference men's basketball action on Wednesday.
After the Terriers (4-8) tied the game at 38, scored six of the next 10 points to help the Peacocks (4-6) take the lead they would not relinquish. The junior was one off of his career high of 18 points, finishing the game with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) added 10 points, a career-best eight rebounds, three assists and a steal while Antwon Portley (Lancaster, Texas/Lancaster) posted nine points and Elias Desport (Stockholm, Sweden/Solna Gymnasium) chipped in eight points and five rebounds in the winning effort.
Tyreek Jewell paced the defending Northeast Conference regular season champions with 13 points while Daqur Jonsson (12 points) and Chris Hooper (11 points) each found double figures in the loss.
Despite being separated by eight miles, the two teams clashed for the first time since the 1994-95 season. The Peacocks used a 9-0 run in the first half to take the lead at the break and a 10-0 run that led the squad to the victory to give Saint Peter's its fourth-straight win against St. Francis Brooklyn.
After the Terriers used an 12-0 run to tie the game at 38 with 8:09 left, Wyche scored in the paint at 7:26 to give the Peacocks the lead for good. Welton then converted two free throws at the line at 6:19 and then scored in the lane at 5:43 before Wyche recorded a bucket at 5:06. Welton then capped the spurt with two free throws at 4:19 for a 48-38 advantage. St. Francis Brooklyn could get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
The Terriers jumped out to a 15-10 lead midway through the first half after a Jonsson trey at 9:22. Saint Peter's then closed the stanza on a 14-5 run than included a 9-0 spurt in the final three minutes and 20 seconds of the half.
Jonsson tied the game at 20 on a layup with 3:40 left, but Portley started a string of nine unanswered points with a free throw at 3:20 and a triple 21 seconds later for a 24-20 lead. Desport followed with a jumper at 2:33 before Welton scored the final three points of the frame on a free throw with 1:19 on the clock and a layup with five seconds left to go into the locker room with a 29-20 margin.
The Peacocks increased its lead to as big as 12 points with 12:20 remaining after two Portley free throws. St. Francis Brooklyn responded with a 12-0 run to tie the bout at 38 with 8:09 left, but Saint Peter's made sure that everyone got a Peacocks win as a stocking stuffer for Christmas by answering with a decisive 10-0 run and never looked back to earn its second-straight win on December 23.
The Jersey City team has now won two-straight at home and holds a 3-1 mark at the Yanitelli Center. Saint Peter's defeated another Northeast Conference program in Fairleigh Dickinson last year at home on December 23.
The Peacocks conclude the non-conference slate on Monday against Cornell at home. Game time is 7 p.m.
