Games 7/8
Saint Peter's (4-2, 2-0 MAAC) vs. Monmouth (0-1, 0-0 MAAC)
Date: Friday- Saturday, Dec. 18-19
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: OceanFirst Bank Center, West Long Branch, NJ
ESPN3: Friday /
Saturday
LIVE STATS: Friday /
Saturday
GAME NOTES
Opening Tip
- Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action carries on for Saint Peter's this weekend with a pair of games at hOURglass Rival Monmouth University on Friday (Dec. 18) and Saturday (Dec. 19).
- The New Jersey schools will collide at OceanFirst Bank Center in West Long Branch at 5pm both days.
- Last week, the Peacocks began MAAC play in impressive fashion, sweeping Niagara University and concluding the weekend atop of the league standings at 2-0.
- Saint Peter's picked up a 70-54 wire-to-wire win on Friday, and followed that performance up with a gritty 53-49 victory on Saturday.
- KC Ndefo ushered the unit during the series, leading the team in points (13.5 ppg) and blocks (3.5 bpg), while being the only Peacock to score in double digits both games, scoring 12 and 15 points respectively.
- Monmouth brings a 0-1 record into the contest, having played its season-opener this week on Tuesday, a 96-88 defeat against Hofstra.
Things to Know Before the hOURglass Series
Series History
- The hOURglass Rivalry between the Peacocks and Hawks will resume on Friday and Saturday in the 43rd and 44th installments of the in-state rivalry, which dates back to 1963.
- The all-time series record (27-15) and the MAAC series tally (8-7), both favor Saint Peter's.
- In 2019-20, the Peacocks swept the Hawks for the second time ever --- first time since Monmouth's inaugural MAAC season in 2013-14.
- Saint Peter's held off Monmouth's comeback attempt in Jersey City on Jan. 29, en route to a 66-63 win; then on Feb. 9 in West Long Branch, the Peacocks knocked off the Hawks 81-69.
- The Peacocks are seeking their first three-game winning streak against their in-state foe since winning the first three meetings of the rivalry between 2013 and 2014
- The two sides have split the last 10 meetings 5-5.
- When playing in West Long Branch, the Peacocks are 3-4 during the rivalry.
It's Lonely at the Top
- Due to the revised league schedule format stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, MAAC teams are playing the same conference opponent back-to-back in a weekend series for the first time ever.
- Despite the entirety of the league facing the same opponent in a weekend, Saint Peter's managed to be the lone team to come out of the opening week a perfect 2-0, putting the Peacocks in sole possession of first place in the conference standings.
- In addition to the men's team, the women's team also swept its opening MAAC series --- the first time both programs started MAAC play 2-0 at the same time since 1996-97 --- making Saint Peter's the only member institution to emerge out of week one 4-0.
Perfect Launch into League Play
- Under third year head coach Shaheen Holloway, the Peacocks are a perfect 3-0 in conference openers after a 70-54 victory over Niagara (Dec. 11) in the league opener.
- It's also the second straight season that the squad has begun the MAAC slate a perfect 2-0 at the conclusion of the conference's first week.
Next Up
- Saint Peter's heads to nearby Brooklyn, NY for an out of conference meeting at St. Francis Brooklyn on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 2pm before having the weekend off for Christmas break. The 2020-21 campaign, however, remains fluid and schedule changes remain a possibility and will be announced in the near future.
