Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Antwon Portley (Lancaster, Texas/Lancaster) and Quadir Welton (Philadelphia, Pa./Math, Civics and Science Charter) combined for 45 points to power Saint Peter's past Niagara 72-59 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's basketball action on Friday night on ESPN3.
Welton posted a career-high 24 points along with 11 rebounds to notch his 10th-straight game with double figures. He posted 17 of his career-high 24 points in the first half. The junior finished the game 8-for-10 from the floor and 8 of 11 from the free throw line to reset his career best for the fourth time this season and the second time in 11 days. Welton, who also had three assists, posted his seventh double-double of the season and ninth of his career.
Portley registered his second-straight 20-point performance and eighth of the season after connecting on 5 of 10 from the floor, 4 of 7 from behind the arc and 7 of 7 from the free throw line to finish the night with 21 points. The freshman added six rebounds in the winning effort.
The Peacocks (10-13, 8-6 MAAC) have retaken sole possession of fourth place in the league standings with an 8-6 record in the circuit with six games to play. Manhattan (7-6) is now a half game behind Saint Peter's and Fairfield (7-7) is a game back of the Peacocks.
Marvin Prochet paced the Purple Eagles (6-20, 4-11 MAAC) with 19 points while Matt Scott added 15 points and Emile Blackman chipped in 14 points in the losing effort.
Saint Peter's grabbed the lead early on the night and never looked back to earn the season split with Niagara and win its second-straight game to start the four-game homestand.
With the game tied at 6, the Peacocks went on a 12-2 run to open up an 18-8 advantage. Chazz Patterson (Brown Mills, N.J./Trenton Catholic) started the run with a triple at 16:07 to give Saint Peter's the lead for good. Welton and Rodney Hawkins (Baltimore, Md./Lake Clifton) followed with layups at 15:22 and 14:38 to extend the margin to 13-6.
After Dominic Robb scored in the lane at 14:22, Welton converted two free throws at 13:16 and then converted a traditional 3-point play at 9:02 for a 10-point lead.
The Purple Eagles cut it to four points with 5:26 left in the half before Saint Peter's closed the half on a 15-6 run to go into the locker room with a 38-25 margin. Portley and Welton combined for 11 of the 15 points in this stretch.
In the second half, the Peacocks maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game. Saint Peter's pushed it to a 19-point advantage after a Hawkins' trey at 12:46 and again after two Elias Desport (Stockholm, Sweden/Solna Gymnasium) free throws at 6:36. The squad then grabbed its largest lead at 70-50 after two Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) free throws at 3:39 and again after two Portley charity tosses at 2:07 before taking the contest, 72-59.
Wyche returned to the starting lineup after missing the game against Quinnipiac on Monday due to an injury and finished the game with nine points and six assists. Freshman Mamadou Ndiaye (Columbia, Md./Old Mill) saw his first action in a game since leaving the George Washington game on Dec. 19 with an injury and posted two rebounds in four minutes.
Saint Peter's returns to action on Sunday against Canisius. Game time is 3 p.m. in the second part of a doubleheader. The women's basketball team will start the day off at 12 p.m. against Quinnipiac.
