NIAGARA UNIV., NY – Manny Dixon drained the go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing with 4.0 seconds to play, propelling the Saint Peter's men's basketball team to a 74-72 road victory over Niagara on Tuesday night.
Davauhnte Turner scored a season-high 31 points to lead the Peacocks in the win.
Game Notes
- Saint Peter's (6-12, 3-3) and Niagara (9-11, 2-5) played in a back and forth contest throughout the opening 15 minutes of the game, producing 16 lead changes and six ties.
- The game finally broke open when the Peacocks used a 7-0 run to take a 31-25 lead after a 3-pointer by Klay Brown and back to back layups from Turner.
- The run would extend to 16-4, putting the Peacocks up 40-29, the largest lead of the half, with a minute left in the first.
- The Peacocks went into the break up 40-35, scoring the teams most points in any MAAC half so far this season.
- Niagara would pull to as close as one point early in the second half, but the Peacocks never relinquished the lead early on.
- Following a thunderous KC Ndefo one-handed dunk, Saint Peter's went back up by 11, leading 60-49.
- The Peacocks kept the lead above six points, and then eventually led 67-57 with 6:44 to play.
- Niagara made a late comeback push, going on a 14-2 run, and taking its first lead since the first half with one minute to play (71-69).
- Quinn Taylor made two free throws to tie the game at 71-71 with 50.1 seconds remaining.
- On the ensuing possession, the Peacocks' defense forced a turnover off a travel and regained possession with 24.7 seconds to play and the shot clock off.
- On the Peacocks' final possession, Turner ran the clock down and found Dixon on the wing, where the redshirt-freshman stepped into a go-ahead 3-pointer that fell through the bottom of the net with 4.0 seconds left.
- A Peacock foul allowed Niagara to score one more point and the Purple Eagles' attempt to miss and tip the rebound out to a shooter failed as the Peacocks closed out the 74-72 victory.
Inside the Numbers
- Turner became the first Peacock this season to surpass 30 points, scoring over 30 for the third time in his career, going 10 of 23 from the field and a perfect 8 for 8 from the line.
- Turner also picked up six rebounds and dished out three assists.
- Samuel Idowu added 15 points and two blocks.
- Dixon, Ndefo, Taylor, and Derrick Woods each scored six points.
- Saint Peter's dominated the paint, out-rebounding Niagara 34-21 and outscoring them in the paint 36-12.
- The 74 points were the most scored in MAAC play this season by the Peacocks.
- Marvin Prochet scored 24 points to lead Niagara.
Coach's Quotes - Shaheen Holloway
- Talking about the decision on the final play – "It was going to either be Manny [Dixon] of Quinn [Taylor]. I knew that they [Niagara] were going to be focused on Te [Davauhnte Turner]. I wanted to run a two-man game, an overload with him and Sam [Idowu] and I knew that the guard was going to pinch up, so I told Manny if he was open to take it and if not, Quinn would be open in the corner. I give these guys a lot of confidence; I let these guys take shots, and that's a shot that Manny practices every day. I kind of look like a good coach, but it was a good play by him."
- On Turner's 31-point performance – "In practice the last two weeks I've been asking Te to be aggressive and tonight he came out super aggressive and he was driving the ball. He did exactly what I told him to do. I told him to drive a little before taking those threes. I thought in the first half, he drove it and drove it, and then took a couple of threes and it was good for him. He is just being a senior and that's what seniors do. Seniors have a sense of urgency and right now he is playing with a sense of urgency and carrying us."
Up Next
- Saint Peter's continues its four-game road trip in Connecticut, on Sunday, January 27.
- The Peacocks will take on Quinnipiac at 2 p.m.
