Box Score WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – After not playing in an overtime game all season, the men's basketball team has found themselves in two consecutive extra period contests. This time, the Peacocks fell, 71-70, to their hOURglass rival, Monmouth on Friday night on ESPN3. The loss drops the Peacocks to 8-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play.
Cavon Baker (Queens, NY / New Hope Academy [Md.] (Houston)) topped his season-high in scoring with 18 points, five rebounds and two assists. Samuel Idowu (Brooklyn, NY/Lafayette Educational Complex) finished with 13 points and Chazz Patterson (Browns Mills, NJ/Trenton Catholic) added 11 points, four rebounds, and three steals.
"I thought we really settled into the game and played at our pace after that first three-four minutes where they had that 14 point run," said head coach John Dunne. "Both teams played their hearts out, both teams played with energy and passion. The story of this game is the free throw line. We left points off the board at the free throw line from our standpoint."
Monmouth opened the night on a 10-0 run, while the Peacocks went 0-8 from field and 0-3 from long range during the first five minutes of action. After the first media break, the Peacocks responded, going on a 12-6 run powered by back-to-back three-pointers by Idowu and Patterson, cutting the deficit to 16-12. During the stretch, Idowu scored seven of the 12 Peacock points. Nick Griffin (Rockville, MD/Col. Zadok Magruder (George Washington)) tied the game up at 18-18 (8:10) after hitting a three. After falling down 24-20, the Peacocks tied the game up again at 24-24, and then Patterson hit a three to give Saint Peter's their first lead, 27-26. Monmouth responded with a three, and Idowu drained an up and under layup to send the game into a 29-29 halftime score. Monmouth held a lead as large as 12 points in the first half, but the Peacocks closed out the half on a 27-15 run. Idowu led all scorers with 11 points in the half.
Quadir Welton's (Philadelphia, PA / Math, Civics and Science Charter) broke the halftime tie with a layup, giving the Peacocks a 31-29 advantage one minute into the half. Trevis Wyche (Neptune, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) scored his first points on a swift move to the rim making a layup to give the Peacocks a 36-33 lead with just under 16 minutes on the clock. Monmouth hit bask-to-back long balls, to take a 44-41 lead, but Baker scored eight straight Saint Peter's points to give the Peacocks the 48-44 lead. Portley hit a deep three to beat shot clock, and added another three to give the Peacocks the lead at 54-48 with seven minutes left, followed by a Patterson steal and fast break layup giving the Peacocks their largest lead of the night at 56-48. Monmouth used a 10-1 run sparked by Justin Robinson to regain the lead at 58-57 with three minutes left. After Monmouth hit two free throws to take a 60-58 lead, Portley hit a jumper to tie game at 60-60 with 22 seconds left. Monmouth had a chance to win at the buzzer but Robinson missed a three and a put back attempt failed to go in as well sending Saint Peter's into its second straight overtime game.
In the extra frame, Monmouth scored the first four points, extending the lead to 64-60, but a dunk by Welton got the Peacocks in the scoring column. Monmouth went up 66-62, and Baker scored three straight points to make it, 66-65. Monmouth extended their lead again to 69-65, but the Peacocks kept the game in arms reach cutting the deficit to one possession again. With Monmouth up 71-67 after a pair of free throws, Portley missed a three from the corner, but Wyche hit a deep three from the top of the key with 0.6 left, leaving the Peacocks with too little time as they fell 71-70 in the game.
"Robinson was really really good and had that one stretch where he was a one-man show," added Dunne. "Because of that, he (Robinson) really got the crowd involved. So tip your hat to him. They won the game and they were the better team tonight. We have to learn from it and move on."
The loss puts the Peacocks in third place in the standings behind Monmouth and Iona. This is the first time the Peacocks have surrendered consecutive league losses this season.
The Peacocks return home on Monday, February 6 when the team host Canisius College at 7p.m.
