Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Chazz Patterson (Brown Mills, N.J./Trenton Catholic) finished the game with a career-high 17 points, but it was his play in the final 5.5 seconds that helped seal Saint Peter's 72-68 win against Siena in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's basketball action on Sunday.
With the Saints (5-4, 1-1 MAAC) making a furious comeback attempt thanks to an 18-7 run over the last two minutes and 33 seconds to trim the margin to 70-68, Patterson sank two free throws in his first opportunity from line on the afternoon with 5.5 seconds left. Siena then attempted to throw the ball over on its offensive end, but the junior leaped and punched the ball out of bounds with 3.3 seconds and then as if playing cornerback in football tied up a Saints player by their bench to force the turnover. The Peacocks (3-4, 2-0 MAAC) then ran out the clock to open the league slate 2-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Patterson, who posted 16 points twice this season, established a new career high with 17 points by going 6-for-13 from the floor, 3 of 8 from behind the arc and 2 of 2 from the free throw line while adding three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
While Patterson's play at the end of the game was crucial to the victory so was the career-high 18 points along with eight rebounds from Quadir Welton (Philadelphia, Pa./Math, Science and Civics Charter). The junior shot 4-for-5 from the field and did most of the damage from the free throw line after connecting on 10 of 16 shots at the stripe. Freshman Antwon Portley (Lancaster, Texas/Lancaster), who registered 25 points in the 73-61 win against Rider on Wednesday, added 11 points in the winning effort.
Marquis Wright paced Siena with 20 points while Nico Clareth (12 points), Javion Ogunyemi (11 points) and Lavon Long (10 points) also reached double figures in the loss.
Both teams were coming off big MAAC opening wins, but Saint Peter's led from the opening tip and withstood several Saints comeback attempts, including one to end the game to earn its fourth-straight win against Siena and the sixth-straight win at the Yanitelli Center against the Albany program.
Patterson gave the Peacocks the lead it would not relinquish on a 3-pointer 50 seconds into the tilt, but it was the final two minutes and 38 seconds that nearly gave the Saints the improbable comeback.
After Portley gave Saint Peter's a 63-50 advantage with 2:38 left, Siena started to march back.
Clareth made two free throws at 2:21 and Long connected on a pair of charity tosses at 1:29 to make it a nine-point game. After Welton hit 1 of 2 at the line at 1:28, Clareth drained a jumper at 1:17 to trim the margin to 64-56. Portley then made the backend of two free tosses at 1:12 only to see Wright converted a traditional 3-point play with 65 ticks left to trim the margin to 65-59.
Portley made two free throws with 1:05 left before Long made 1 of 2 at the line for a 67-60 Peacocks lead with 59 seconds left. Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) drained two free throws with 53 ticks remaining. Wright then went 4 of 5 from the line to cut the margin to 69-64 with 27 seconds left. After a pair of missed Saint Peter's free throws, Ryan Oliver and Welton traded a free throw to maintain the five-point margin before Wright drained a trey with eight seconds left to trim the margin to 70-68 with eight seconds left. Patterson then made two big free throws and used his defense to secure the win for the Peacocks.
Saint Peter's started the game on a 23-8 run in the first nine minutes of the game powered by 11 points by Patterson.
Siena then used an 11-2 spurt to trim the margin to 29-25 with 2:08 left in the first half. The Saints got baskets from four different players in this span.
The Peacocks closed the half on a 9-0 run to go into the locker room with a 38-25 lead. Wyche started the run with a jumper before Cameron Jones (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) drained a trey at the 1:09 mark. Welton then made a pair at the line with 36 seconds left and Mamadou Ndiaye (Columbia, Md./Old Mill) scored as the first-half clock ran out for the 13-point lead at the break.
Saint Peter's maintained at least an eight-point lead in the final frame until the final 77 seconds during Siena's furious comeback attempt that was thwarted by Patterson's two free throws and defense.
Jones posted six points and five rebounds. Wyche added six points and four assists while Rodney Hawkins (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton) tallied five points and seven rebounds in the win.
Welton had posted a career-best 16 points four times in his first 68 games, but has surpassed that total twice in the last three games after registering 17 points against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 28 and 18 points on Sunday.
The Peacocks open the season 2-0 for the second time under head coach John Dunne and the first time since the 2010-11 season. The Jersey City team has posted 70 points in a game five times this season and are 3-2 in those contests.
Saint Peter's returns to action in its annual neighboring rivalry with Seton Hall on Dec. 13 at the Prudential Center in Newark. Game time is 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcasted on Fox Sports 1.
