Box Score POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Marist scored with 1.5 seconds left to end a valiant 20-point comeback attempt by Saint Peter's to give the Red Foxes a 69-67 victory in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's basketball action on Friday night.
After Desi Washington (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) made 1 of 2 at the free throw line with 16.9 seconds left to tie the game at 67, Khallid Hart drove the length of the court, split two defenders and scored off the glass with 1.5 seconds left to give Marist a 69-67 victory. Elias Desport (Stockholm, Sweden/Solna Gymnasium) throw a great baseball pass to Marvin Dominique (Miramar, Fla./Miramar), who had a shot at the top of the key that rimmed in and out as time expired that would have tied the game.
Washington paced the Peacocks (13-17, 7-12 MAAC) with 20 points. Dominique added 14 points and 10 rebounds while Jamel Fields (Albany, N.Y./Cheshire Academy) chipped in 10 points in the loss.
Chavaughn Lewis powered the Red Foxes (6-23, 5-14 MAAC) with 25 points. T.J. Curry recorded 13 points and Hart registered 12 points in Marist's fourth-straight win against Saint Peter's at McCann Arena.
Marist used a great shooting first half to take an 18-point lead into the second half only to see the Peacocks rally to tie the game. The Red Foxes had the last basket to earn the victory.
Saint Peter's started the second half on a 23-12 run to trim the margin to 55-48 with 8:38 left thanks to six points by Dominique and five from Washington.
Marist regained a double-digit lead at 59-48 with 6:05 left, but the Peacocks defense helped the squad go on a 19-8 run to even the score after a Washington free throw in the closing seconds of the game. Washington had nine points in this stretch, but Hart scored with 1.5 seconds to give the home team the victory.
Following the senior day ceremony, seniors Curry (19:03), Lewis (18:12) and Manny Thomas (17:36) got off to a hot start with three-consecutive treys along with a Lewis layup at 17:02 for an 11-0 lead.
Saint Peter's scored eight of the next 12 points to trim the margin to 15-8 with 11:13 left in the stanza thanks to points from four different Peacocks.
Thomas then hit a 3-pointer at 10:46 to regain a double-figure advantage. Rodney Hawkins (Baltimore, Md./Mount Zion) scored in the lane and Tyler Gaskins (Roswell, Ga./Centennial) nailed a trey to make it a seven-point game once again at 20-13 with 8:31 on the clock.
Marist then closed the half by scoring 23 of the final 35 points to extend its lead to 43-25 going into the locker room. Lewis had eight points and Hart added seven points in the spurt.
The Red Foxes shot 64 percent (16-for-25) from the floor in the first half including 64 percent from behind the arc (9-for-15).
With the loss, the best standing the Peacocks can have in the MAAC Tournament is seventh place after Quinnipiac downed Siena 73-63 on Friday. Saint Peter's cannot finish lower than ninth place and will either play at 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. in the MAAC Tournament on Mar. 5.
Saint Peter's returns to action on Sunday against Iona at home in the regular season finale. Game time is 3 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN 3. Prior to the game, the Peacocks will honor seniors Dominique, Mohamed Farih (Kearney, N.J./Kearney), Fields, Gaskins, Kris Rolle (Aventura, Fla./Monsignor) and Washington.
