JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Dec. 5, 2021) - Trailing by as many as 24 points in the second half, the Saint Peter's University men's basketball team outscored the Siena College Saints 24-4 in the final 7:20 of game action, including a 21-0 run over seven minutes of game action, but were unable to complete the comeback, falling 60-58 Sunday inside Run Baby Run Arena.
The Peacocks held the Saints without a made field goal over the final 7:36 of game action but Siena was able to hold on with a pair of free throws from Colby Rogers in the last 0:12 of the game. SPU dropped to 2-4 overall this season and 1-1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) while Siena improved to 3-6, 1-1 in the MAAC.
Junior Daryl Banks III led the Peacocks with 14 points, scoring all of them in the final eight minutes of the contest while chipping in five rebounds.
Freshman Jaylen Murray also provided a spark off the bench, scoring 11 points going 4 for 6 from the floor and also dishing out a team-high four assists.
Siena, meanwhile, had three players in double figures led by 15 bench points by Aidan Carpenter while also getting an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double from Jordan Kellier.
How it Happened
- Siena starts the game on a 16-2 fueled by eight points from Kellier and three shots made from beyond-the-arc.
- The Peacocks were able to chip away and cut the deficit back down to six after a made free throw by Murray at the 7:23 mark of the first half.
- The Saints made sure the deficit did not get any closer in the stanza, however, outscoring SPU 14-9 down the stretch to take a 36-25 lead into the break.
- The second half started in very similar fashion to the first with Siena using a quick 9-0 run after the Peacocks briefly cut the deficit under 10 to re-extend the edge to 45-27.
- The lead swelled to as many as 24 when Nick Hopkins knocked down a fastbreak jumper with 10:33 and looked to seal things for the Saints.
- With the score 57-34, SPU, and more specifically the full court defense, turned things on down the stretch, forcing 10 Siena turnovers in the final 7:30 of the game to fuel the 21-0 run.
- Now trailing 57-55 after Murray's free throw with 12 seconds remaining, the Peacocks chose to foul Rogers who calmly stepped to the line and knocked down a pair of free throws to push the lead back to eight.
- Murray drove directly to the rim on the next possession for SPU to cut the deficit back down to two at 59-57, but time was not on the Peacocks side with just three seconds left after the made bucket.
- Both teams added a single free throw in the final seconds of the game to make the score 60-58 and KC Ndefo's effort for an offensive tip-in after his second free throw attempt was knocked away to seal the 60-58 win for Siena.
Inside the Numbers
- Banks III scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game for the Peacocks going 5 for 9 from the floor.
- Ndefo filled up the stat sheet as well with eight points, eight boards and four blocks in the loss.
- Siena's offensive effort was unconventional with just six assists on their 22 made baskets in the game.
- The Peacocks outshot the Saints in the contest, shooting 46.9 percent from the floor while holding Siena to 45.8 percent.
- Hassan Drame was the main offensive weapon for SPU in the first half, scoring all eight of his points before halftime.
- The Peacocks held a 38-20 edge in points in the paint, a 10-6 advantage in fastbreak points and a 34-24 edge in bench points.
- Siena finished the game with eight made 3-pointers on 15 attempts while the Peacocks went 2 for 9 from downtown.
- After leading for the entire game against Quinnipiac Friday, SPU was unable to grab the lead at any point in the contest against the Saints.
- It is the Saints' first win in Jersey City against the Peacocks since grabbing a 66-58 win in the Yanitelli Center on Jan. 28, 2010.
Postgame Presser (Head Coach Shaheen Holloway)
Next Up
- The second of three straight home games for SPU takes place Wednesday when they take on St. Francis-Brooklyn at 7:00 p.m. inside Run Baby Run Arena.
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