Box Score BUFFALO, N.Y. – Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) scored 16 points and dished out eight assists to power Saint Peter's past Canisius 70-53 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men's basketball action on Saturday.
For the third-straight game, Wyche finished as the Peacocks (6-8, 4-1 MAAC) leading scorer after connecting on 7-for-11 of his shots from the floor and 2 of 2 from the free throw line on his way to 16 points. He has posted double figures in points in seven of the nine road games while he now has dished out eight assists in a contest three times this season. Wyche also added five rebounds to help Saint Peter's to its seventh 4-1 conference start and the first since the 1996-97 season.
"We wanted to make it a grind game and not give up too many buckets in transition, said head coach John Dunne in his postgame interview with ESPN3. "We felt like we fought today. Trevis has been playing at a really high level and I do not know where we would be without him."
Antwon Portley (Lancaster, Texas/Lancaster) added 11 points while Rodney Hawkins (Baltimore. Md./Lake Clifton) and Quadir Welton (Philadelphia, Pa./Math, Civics and Science Charter) each tallied 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in the winning effort.
The Peacocks held the Golden Griffins (7-9, 2-4 MAAC), who came into the game ranked 16th in the nation in scoring offense with 82.9 points per game, to their lowest point total this season by 13 points. With the win, Saint Peter's also ended a six-game losing streak against Canisius.
Kassius Robertson led the Golden Griffins with 15 points while Jamal Reynolds and Jermaine Crumpton each chipped in 10 points in the loss.
The game was close in the first half before the Peacocks ended the first half on a big run and never looked back to end the three-game road trip by winning two of the three tilts.
It was a back and forth first half before Saint Peter's went on a 12-2 run in the final six minutes of the stanza to take a 29-20 lead going into the locker room.
After Crumpton gave Canisius an 18-17 lead with 6:12 left, Wyche started the surge with a layup at 5:50 before Elias Desport (Stockholm, Sweden/Solna Gymnasium) converted a pair of free throws at 4:58 and at 4:23 for a 23-18 lead.
After Reynolds made a layup at 2:47 to trim the margin to 23-30, the Peacocks scored the final six points of the half. Portley drained a trey at 2:03 and Cameron Jones (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) hit a triple of his own with 44 seconds left to extend the margin to nine points.
The Peacocks then increased their lead to 17 points midway through the second half thanks to a 20-12 spurt to start the final frame. Wyche and Hawkins fueled the run with six points and five points, respectively.
Powered by five points apiece by Crumpton and Phil Valenti, the Golden Griffins answered with a 15-5 run to trim the margin to 54-47 with 5:14 left after a Reynolds traditional 3-point play.
Hawkins then slammed home a dunk to help Saint Peter's close the game on a 16-6 run to secure the victory.
Desport finished the game with four points and seven rebounds while Jones posted six points and Samuel Idowu (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lafayette Educational Complex) notched a career-high five points.
Saint Peter's returns to action when the squad plays its first game at the Yanitelli Center in 19 days to complete its season series with Marist on Jan. 17. Tip-off is 2 p.m.
