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Matthew Lee
Demetrius Kazanas

Men's Basketball

Men's Basketball Travels to Canisius Trying to Push Win Streak to Five

Head Coach Shaheen Holloway goes for 50th career win

The Particulars
Saint Peter's (7-6, 5-1 MAAC) vs. Canisius (6-12, 2-5 MAAC)
Date:
Sunday, Jan. 23 (1:00 PM)
Location: Koessler Athletic Center
Network: ESPN3

Tip-Off

  • Coming off four straight MAAC wins over the course of seven days, the Saint Peter's men's basketball goes for five straight Sunday as they take on Canisius College on the road.
  • The Peacocks head into the matchup after defeating Niagara 74-68 in overtime while the Golden Griffins knocked off Rider 70-69 at home Friday night.

Looking Back at Niagara

  • With just 38 seconds left in the first overtime period and the score 68-67, junior Daryl Banks III was able to rise up and bury a 3-pointer from the left wing and send the Peacocks team to a 74-68 road win over the Purple Eagles.
  • Senior KC Ndefo produced perhaps the strongest performance of his career, matching his career-best with 22 points while setting a new high with 13 rebounds as the Peacocks improved to 7-6 overall and 5-1 in MAAC play.
  • SPU has now won four straight dating back to Jan. 14 and sits in second place in the conference standings.
  • After back-to-back games with two points, Banks III returned to his normal offensive form with 17 points to go along with five boards and a team-high five assists in the win.
  • Junior Matthew Lee was sensational as well with a season-best 14 points going 3 for 6 from beyond the arc while also producing four assists and four steals.
  • The 5-1 start in MAAC play for the Peacocks is the best start since starting 6-1 in the 2015-16 season.
  • The double-double for Ndefo was his fifth of his career and the first in his senior season with the Peacocks.

The Series

  • All-time: Canisius leads 37-49
  • Streak: Saint Peter's (1)
  • Last Saint Peter's Win: 1/18/2022 (W, 65-57 @ SPU)
  • Last Canisius Win: 1/2/2021 (L, 63-60 @ Canisius)

Quick Team Notes

  • After nearly a month between games, the Peacocks has gone 5-0 in a seven-day span to move to 5-1 in MAAC play and vault into second place in the MAAC.
  • Ndefo, the 2021-22 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, heads into the contest hitting his stride offensively with back-to-back games with at least 12 rebounds and is averaging 12.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his last five games.
  • Banks III leads the Peacocks offensively averaging 11.2 points per game this season. Banks III has scored in double figures eight times on the year including a 17-point performance in Friday night's win over Niagara.
  • Junior Fousseyni Drame is the team's leading rebounder, sitting fifth in the MAAC with 7.2 boards per game. Drame averages 8.3 points per game and is shooting 51.8 percent from the floor this season.
  • 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.
  • The Peacocks defeated the Golden Griffs earlier this season 65-57 at home thanks to stifling defense and season-best 17 points from Isiah Dasher.
  • A win for SPU would give head coach Shaheen Holloway his 50th career victory and make him the sixth coach in program history to reach the 50-win plateau. He would be the fourth-fastest coach to reach 50 wins. 

Shot BlocKing

  • The two-time defending MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Ndefo swatted four shots in last Tuesday's 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 2.3 blocked shots per game this season. Ndefo has blocked at least one shot in 84 of his 97 games played with the Peacocks.

Money from the Stripe

  • Banks III is leading the conference and ranked eighth in the country in free throw percentage at 92.3 percent.
  • Banks III has made 27 consecutive free throws dating back to Nov. 27 and has missed just three shots from the stripe this season.
  • Doug Edert, meanwhile, is third in the MAAC shooting 85.3 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 64.2 points per game this season. The Peacocks have allowed under 70 points in six straight games and hold a 5-1 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 six consecutive games with at least eight different scorers.
  • Offensively, eight different players have scored in double figures this season.
  • Of the 11 student-athletes who have seen action in a game this season, 10 have at least one start.

Getting to Know the Golden Griffs

  • Canisius heads into the contest with a 6-12 overall record and a 2-5 record in MAAC play this season. 
  • The Golden Griffins have been fantastic at home this season with a 6-3 record and are riding a four-game home win streak heading into the contest. 
  • Canisius is led offensively by senior Malek Green who is averaging 12.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season.
  • Graduate student Scott Hitchon has been one of the best players of late for Canisius and is coming off a season-high 21 points in Friday's win over Rider. Hitchon was the team's leading scorer in Tuesday night's contest between the Griffs and the Peacocks with 14 points.
  • Canisius is strong defending beyond the arc, leading the MAAC allowing opponents to shoot just 29.1 percent from 3-point range this season.
  • The Griffs have struggled overall defensively this season, though, ranking 11th in the conference in both scoring defense and opponents' field goal percentage.

Up Next

  • SPU will complete its three-game road trip Wednesday when they travel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to take on Marist College at 7:00 p.m.

-- 

For continuing coverage of Saint Peter's University Athletics, visit SaintPetersPeacocks.com and follow the Peacocks on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

Daryl Banks III

#5 Daryl Banks III

G
6' 3"
Junior
Fousseyni Drame

#10 Fousseyni Drame

F
6' 7"
Junior
Doug Edert

#25 Doug Edert

G
6' 2"
Junior
Matthew Lee

#15 Matthew Lee

G
6' 0"
Junior
Isiah Dasher

#13 Isiah Dasher

G
6' 4"
Senior
KC Ndefo

#11 KC Ndefo

F
6' 7"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Daryl Banks III

#5 Daryl Banks III

6' 3"
Junior
G
Fousseyni Drame

#10 Fousseyni Drame

6' 7"
Junior
F
Doug Edert

#25 Doug Edert

6' 2"
Junior
G
Matthew Lee

#15 Matthew Lee

6' 0"
Junior
G
Isiah Dasher

#13 Isiah Dasher

6' 4"
Senior
G
KC Ndefo

#11 KC Ndefo

6' 7"
Senior
F

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