Balanced Attack Leads to Convincing Exhibition Win for Men’s Basketball over NJCU

JERSEY CITY, NJ – Saint Peter's men's basketball and crosstown rival New Jersey City University (NJCU) renewed the "Battle of the Boulevard" rivalry in an exhibition game on Thursday night after a near 40-year absence. The Peacocks walked away with a convincing 88-61 home win in the tune-up game.
 
The Early Portion

• Four early mishaps by the Saint Peter's offense led to four early points off of turnovers for NJCU, putting the Peacocks behind the eightball. 
• A three-pointer by NJCU's Quadri Moore gave the visitors an eight point advantage, their largest lead of the night with just over 14 minutes in the half (15-7).
• The Peacocks' comeback attempt came shortly after falling behind by the eight-point deficit, with a 10-2 run, tying the game at 17-17.
• The battle remained equal, moving to 22-22 tie with just under eight to play. 

 
Turning Point

• The turning point in the game came with 7:02 left in the half when freshman Doug Edert connected on four straight three-pointers, giving the Peacocks their first lead of the night and eventually putting the team ahead 34-28 following Edert's quartet of triples.
• By the half, Saint Peter's led 42-36. 

 
Second Half Dominance 

• The final 20 minutes belonged to the Peacocks, as Saint Peter's outscored its rival, 46-25 in the second half.
• With the contests still within a couple of possessions (54-50), the Peacocks put the game out of reach with an 18-6 run over the next nine minutes that extended the lead to a convincing 72-56 advantage with just 4:39 to play. The run was spearheaded by Peacock freshmen, with the newcomers combining for 13 out of 18 points, led by Fousseyni Drame's five points during the stretch. 

 
Inside the Numbers

• Edert finished the night leading all-scorers with 17 points on 5 for 7 shooting from long range. 
• Edert's classmate, Aaron Estrada tallied 16 points, three assists, and four rebounds. 
• Derrick Woods was the final Peacock in double-figure, scoring 15 points and snagging a game-high eight boards and swatting four blocks.
• 11 Peacocks played more than five minutes in the game and all 11 scored at least two points.
• Saint Peter's controlled the frontcourt, outscoring NJCU 40-26 in the paint.
• The Peacocks also held advantages in fast break points (21-11) and bench points (27-16). 
• The win for Saint Peter's improves its "Battle of the Boulevard" record to 21-7 all-time over NJCU dating back to 1941-42. 

  
Up Next

• The real action begins for the men next Wednesday, November 13, when the Peacocks welcome Bryant University to the Yanitelli Center for the regular season opener. 
• Tip-off will be 7 p.m.