NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Despite Saint Peter's rallying from a double-digit deficit to take the lead in the final four minutes of the game, Niagara defeated the Peacocks 63-61 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's basketball action on Thursday.
Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) paced the Peacocks (5-8, 3-1 MAAC) with 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds. The junior shot 7-for-10- from the floor, 2 of 2 from behind the arc and 2 of 2 from the foul line. With his eight helpers, Wyche moved into the program's Top-10 for career assists.
Chazz Patterson (Brown Mills, N.J./Trenton Catholic) added 14 points and
Antwon Portley (Lancaster, Texas/Lancaster) chipped in 10 points in the loss.
Trailing 56-46 with 8:34 left, Saint Peter's went on a 13-0 run to take a 59-56 lead on a Patterson 3-pointer with 4:03 left only to see Matt Scott drill a triple of his own at 3:27 left to tie the game. Justin Satchell then gave the Purple Eagles (4-12, 2-3 MAAC) the lead for good on a jumper for a 61-59 edge at 1:24 after the Peacocks had two chances to retake the lead. Emile Blackman then converted two free throws with 24 seconds left to extend the margin to four points. Wyche scored in the lane with six ticks remaining to cut the deficit to 63-61, but after Patterson hauled in a rebound on a missed Niagara free throw Saint Peter's could not get a shot off before the horn sounded to give the Purple Eagles the victory.
Satchell led all scorers with 22 points while Blackman registered 14 points and Scott chipped in 10 points in the winning effort.
Niagara held the lead for 39 minutes and five seconds, but had to hold on after a furious comeback attempt by Saint Peter's to rally for its fourth win at the Gallagher Center in the last five meetings against the Peacocks.
After Satchell restored a double-digit lead for the Purple Eagles at 56-46 with 8:34 left, Saint Peter's went on a 13-0 run over the next four minutes and 31 seconds to take a 59-56 lead.
Wyche started the run with a jumper at 8:18 before Patterson drilled a trey with 7:37 left. Portley then made a triple of his own at 6:49 before Wyche converted two charity tosses at 6:22 to tie the game at 56. Patterson then gave the Peacocks its second lead of the night on a 3-pointer with 4:03 remaining, but Scott tied the game 36 seconds later and Satchell capped his offensive outburst on the night with a jumper with 84 seconds left to give Niagara the lead it would not relinquish.
Niagara scored the first six points of the game before Saint Peter's scored nine of the next 11 points to take a 9-8 edge on a Wyche basket in the paint with 11:34 left in the stanza. The Purple Eagles regained the advantage before going on a 12-2 run to extend a 17-16 margin to 29-18 with 5:13 on the clock. Maurice Taylor had five points to power the run.
With the Niagara holding a 35-23 lead, the Peacocks closed the half by scoring six unanswered points to go into the locker room trailing 35-29.
Elias Desport (Stockholm, Sweden/Solna Gymnasium) started the spurt with two free throws at 1:58 before
Elisha Boone (Laurelton, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) scored in the lane 22 seconds later and Portley drained two free throws with 39 seconds left to make it a six-point game at the break.
The Purple Eagles restored a 10-point lead twice in the second half and Saint Peter's could get no closer than five points midway through the stanza before the Peacocks strung off 13-unanswered points to take the lead with 4:03 remaining. Niagara then scored the next five points to hold on for the win.
After scoring double figures four times in the first seven games, Patterson notched his first double-digit performance in six tilts. Boone hauled in seven caroms while
Rodney Hawkins (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton) tallied eight points and seven rebounds.
With the loss, Saint Peter's has started the league slate 3-1 for the ninth time in team history and the first time since the 2010-11 season. The last two times the Peacocks won the MAAC Tournament, the squad started the circuit with three wins in its first four games.
Saint Peter's returns to action at Canisius on Saturday. Game time is at 2 p.m. and will be a Canisius produced ESPN3 broadcast.
