Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Antwon Portley (Lancaster, Texas/Lancaster) registered 25 points and Quadir Welton (Philadelphia, Pa./Math, Civics and Science Charter) tallied 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds to power Saint Peter's past Quinnipiac 68-52 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's basketball action on Monday.
Portley connected on 7 of his 15 shots from the field, 3 of 7 from behind the arc and 8 of 8 from the free throw line to notch his seventh 20-point performance of the season to help the Peacocks (9-13, 7-6 MAAC) end a five-game losing streak. The freshman, who added four assists and four rebounds, posted his first 20-point output since scoring 23 points in the last Jersey City win against Fairfield on Jan. 17.
Welton notched his sixth double-double of the season. He recorded six of his 10 points from the foul line while hauling in four offensive and 10 defensive rebounds for to establish a new career-high of 14 boards after recording 13 rebounds in a game three times in his career. The junior now has posted double figures in nine-straight games.
Chazz Patterson (Brown Mills, N.J./Trenton Catholic) added 11 points, including some clutch 3-pointers in the second half to help Saint Peter's maintain the lead. The Peacocks were tied with Fairfield (7-7) and Manhattan (6-6) for fourth place coming into the night, but with the win move a half game ahead of both the Stags and Jaspers for the fourth spot in the standings.
Chaise Daniels paced the Bobcats (8-14, 5-8 MAAC) with 12 points while Giaovanni McLean posted 11 points and Daniel Harris recorded 10 points in the losing effort.
Coming into the night, Quinnipiac was riding a three-game winning streak and Saint Peter's was coming off five-straight losses. The Peacocks welcomed its first four-game league homestand since 2007-08 with a victory thanks to some clutch shooting down the stretch to hold off several Bobcat comeback attempts.
Elisha Boone (Laurelton, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) gave Saint Peter's the lead it would not relinquish on a layup with 9:53 left to hand the Jersey City team a 41-40 lead. The Peacocks extended the lead to five points and Quinnipiac came back to make it a one-point game. Saint Peter's went up four points and the Bobcats came back to make it a one-point game. Quinnipiac would trim the margin to one point four times in the six minutes after Boone made that layup, but the layup by Boone still stood as the difference.
After Harris trimmed the margin to 53-52 with 3:36 on the clock, the Peacocks closed the game on a 15-0 run to secure the victory. Welton started the run with two free throws at 3:16 before Patterson nailed a trey at 2:37. After Welton hit two more charity tosses at 2:05, Boone scored in the lane at 1:47 for a 62-52 advantage. Portley and Cameron Jones (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) combined to hit all six freebies done the stretch to seal the win.
In the first half, Saint Peter's turned a 13-12 deficit into a 28-19 lead with 2:49 left in the stanza. The run was keyed by an 11-3 spurt with the Peacocks leading 17-16 at the 10:35 mark to give the Jersey City team a 28-19 lead. Patterson sparked the run with five points. The Peacocks went onto the locker room with a 30-24 lead after McLean hit a triple with five seconds left.
The Bobcats used a 9-3 spurt to tie the game at 33 with 17:15 on the clock thanks to four points from Daniels.
Saint Peter's responded with the next six points on layups by freshmen (Samuel Idowu (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lafayette Educational Complex), Jones and Portley) for a 39-33 advantage with 13:37 remaining.
Quinnipiac answered with the next seven points to take the edge for the final time at 40-39 after a Harris 3-pointer with 10:15 on the clock. Boone then scored in the lane and the Peacocks never trailed again to end a five-game losing streak.
Boone finished the game with eight points and five rebounds. Idowu added a career-high six points while Jones notched six points for the 11th time this season and the first without hitting a trey. Saint Peter's played without Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep), who missed his first career game due an injury.
The Peacocks continue their four-game homestand against Niagara on Friday night on ESPN3. Game time is 7 p.m.
