Balanced Attack by Men’s Basketball Leads to Season Sweep over Marist

Post-Game Interview with ESPN

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The Saint Peter's men's basketball team's starting five combined to score all but nine points, leading to a 65-59 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) victory over Marist College on Friday night. The win gave the Peacocks the season series sweep and snapped an eight-game skid, while ending Marist's four-game winning streak.  
 
Game Notes

• Saint Peter's (7-20, 4-11) immediately jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead over Marist (12-15, 7-8), connecting on baskets in 3 out of the first 4 possessions of the game.
• The Peacocks extended the run to 12-2, following a step back 3-pointer by Davauhnte Turner, putting the Peacocks ahead by double-figures.
• Marist eventually stopped the Peacocks' run, and pulled to within five, with Saint Peter's leading 20-15.
• Over the final eight minutes in the half, the Red Foxes outscored the Peacocks 14-4, putting Saint Peter's behind 29-24 at intermission.
• The Peacocks came out of the locker room on fire, almost identical to the first half, outscoring Marist 12-2, which included a 10-0 run to reclaim the lead for the final time in the game.
• The run began with Dallas Watson hitting a jumper in the paint.
• Following a Marist basket, Turner and KC Ndefo hit back to back 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to give Saint Peter's a 32-31 lead.
• From there, Ndefo added two more points from the line and a steal by Manny Dixon followed by a fast break layup by Dixon pushed the Peacock lead to 36-31.
• After the run ended, Saint Peter's threw together another quick 6-0 spurt, with Turner scoring three and Quinn Taylor adding three on ensuing possessions.
• Derrick Woods helped extend the lead back to double-figures knocking in two layups in a row, to put the Peacocks ahead 48-37.
• As the Peacocks offense extended the lead to over 10, the Peacock defense held Marist without a field goal for over three minutes.
• The Peacocks picked up the largest lead of the night behind anther 6-0 run, going up 50-37 with just over eight minutes to play.
• The Peacocks allowed Marist to get within six points, but again responded and went back up by over 10 points.
• Late in the game, Marist cut the Peacock lead to four points, but free throws and a put back layup by Samuel Idowu with 26 seconds left helped seal the victory for Saint Peter's.

 
Inside the Numbers

• All five starters scored at least eight points and combined to score 56 of the Peacocks' 65 total points.
• Turner scored a team-high 16 points, making all seven of his free throw attempts and going 3 for 5 from behind the arc.
• Ndefo followed with 13 points, shooting 5 of 10 from the field and also having a perfect night at the charity stripe, going 2 of 2.
• Taylor scored 10 points, and tallied five rebounds.
• Watson chipped in with nine points and Idowu scored eight to round out the starting five, while Woods connected on both his field goal attempts and a free throw for five points off the bench.
• The Peacocks controlled the bulk of the game, leading for just over 30 minutes and posting leads of double-digits in both halves.
• Saint Peter's also won the battle upfront out rebounding Marist 28-27 and scoring more points in the paint, 30-26.
• Brian Parker scored a game-high 19 points to lead Marist.

  
Up Next

• Saint Peter's will play the remainder of its games in Jersey City to close out the regular season.
• The Peacocks first welcome Niagara on Sunday, February 24 at 2 p.m.