The Particulars
Saint Peter's (6-6, 3-1 MAAC) vs. Niagara (8-8, 3-4 MAAC)
Date: Friday, Jan. 21 (7:00 PM)
Location: Gallagher Center
Network: ESPN3
Tip-Off
- Coming off three straight MAAC wins in a five-day span, Saint Peter's men's basketball returns to action Friday against Niagara University on the road looking for their fourth straight win.
- The Peacocks come into the contest coming off a 65-57 win at home against Canisius Tuesday afternoon while the Purple Eagles knocked off Manhattan on the road 72-63.
Looking Back at Canisius
- For the third straight game, SPU had at least nine different players score at least two points while holding their opponent under 65 points to earn a 65-57 win over Canisius College Tuesday inside Run Baby Run Arena.
- Junior Isiah Dasher poured in a season-high 17 points to finish just one short of his career-high and lead the Peacocks to their third win in five days and improve their overall record to 6-6. SPU is now 4-1 in MAAC play and alone in second place while the Golden Griffins dropped to 5-12 overall and 1-5 in the league.
- Much as they have all season, the Peacocks played stifling defense throughout, holding the Griffs under 60 points for just the third time this season and just 36.2 percent from the floor. SPU, who came into the game with the best scoring defense in the MAAC, improved their season average and are now allowing just 63.9 points per game to now rank inside the top 60 teams in the country.
- Junior KC Ndefo also had a strong effort in the win, nearly notching a double-double with eight points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
- SPU has now won three straight regular season MAAC games for the first time since Feb. 9-23, 2020 when they ran off five straight en route to a 16-4 regular season conference mark.
The Series
- All-time: Niagara leads 52-38
- Streak: Saint Peter's (2)
- Last Saint Peter's Win: 12/11/2020 (W, 53-49 @ SPU)
- Last Niagara Win: 2/27/2020 (L, 63-54 @ Niagara)
Quick Team Notes
- After nearly a month between games, the Peacocks went 3-0 in a five-day span to move to 4-1 in MAAC play and vault into second place in the MAAC.
- KC Ndefo, the 2021-22 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, heads into the contest hitting his stride, averaging 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his last four contests.
- Junior Daryl Banks III leads the Peacocks offensively averaging 10.7 points per game this season. Banks III has scored in double figures seven times on the year including a 13-point performance in the win over Monmouth last Friday.
- Junior Fousseyni Drame is the team's leading rebounder, sitting fifth in the MAAC with 7.5 boards per game. Drame averages 8.5 points per game and is shooting 51.3 percent from the floor this season.
- The Peacocks have used a balanced scoring attack all season with seven different players scoring in double figures at least once on the year.
- SPU heads into the contest with one of the top defenses in the MAAC, leading the conference in scoring defense and steals per game while ranking second in blocks per game and opponents' field goal percentage.
Shot BlocKing
- The two-time defending MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Ndefo swatted four shots in win over Canisius to bring his career total to 244, good for the fifth most among active players in DI.
- Ndefo leads the MAAC and is 30th in the country with 2.5 blocked shots per game this season. Ndefo has blocked at least one shot in 84 of his 96 games played with the Peacocks.
Money from the Stripe
- Banks III is leading the conference and ranked 10th in the country in free throw percentage at 91.9 percent.
- Banks III has made 23 consecutive free throws dating back to Nov. 27 and has missed just three shots from the stripe this season.
- Doug Edert, meanwhile, is fifth in the MAAC shooting 84.4 percent from the line this season. He has missed just five free throws this season.
Defense Wins Championships
- SPU heads into the contest with one of the top defenses in the MAAC, leading the league allowing just 63.9 points per game this season. The Peacocks have allowed under 65 points in five straight games and hold a 4-1 record in those contests.
- The Peacocks also lead the MAAC and rank 43rd in the country with 8.5 steals per game on the year.
- SPU also ranks second in the conference in opponents' field goal percentage, blocked shots per game and turnovers forced per game.
Balancing Act
- The Peacocks have been one of the most balanced groups in the country this season and have had five consecutive games with at least nine different scorers.
- Offensively, seven different players have scored in double figures this season while two more have produced nine-point games.
- Of the 11 student-athletes who have seen action in a game this season, 10 have at least one start.
Nitty Gritty on Niagara
- The Purple Eagles head into the contest with an 8-8 overall record and are 3-4 in MAAC games this season.
- Niagara went 1-1 over the weekend, dropping a road contest against Iona 78-55 before picking up a hard-earned comeback road win at Manhattan 73-63.
- The Purple Eagles have won three straight home games and are historically a tough matchup in the Gallagher Center having won six of the last nine matchups between the two programs in Niagara.
- Senior Marcus Hammond is the leading scorer for the Purple Eagles averaging 17.3 points per game on the year. A 2019-20 First Team All-MAAC selection, Hammond leads the league in scoring and ranks third in 3-pointers per game on the year.
- Graduate student Jordan Cintron joins Hammond in double figures with 10.5 points per contest. Cintron also sits second in the MAAC with 1.8 steals per game this season.
- Niagara is one of the best teams in the league at shooting the 3-pointer, leading the MAAC shooting 35.9 percent from beyond the arc.
- The Purple Eagles have struggled on the glass this season averaging just 32.1 rebounds per game as a team to rank 11th in the conference.
Up Next
- The Peacocks continue the upstate New York trip when they travel to Buffalo to take on Canisius for the second time in three games Sunday. The contest will tip off at 1:00 p.m. inside the Golden Griffins' Koessler Athletic Center.
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