Men's Basketball Looks to Bounce Back with Road Contest at Marist

The Particulars
Saint Peter's (7-7, 5-2 MAAC) vs. Marist (8-9, 3-5)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2021
Location: McCann Arena
Network: ESPN3

Tip-Off

• After dropping a narrow contest on the road Sunday against Canisius, the Saint Peter's men's basketball team returns to action Wednesday night looking for their fifth win in six games as they travel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to take on Marist at 7:00 p.m.
• The Peacocks head into the contest after dropping a 63-60 contest versus Canisius while the Red Foxes also lost by three points Sunday at home 69-66 against Fairfield.

Looking Back at Canisius

• Junior Hassan Drame set a new career-high with 19 points and added 11 rebounds for his fourth career double-double but it was not enough as SPU fell 63-60 on the road at Canisius Sunday to stop their winning streak at four games.
• The Peacocks trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half but rallied from behind to lead by as many as seven in the second half but the Golden Griffins scored the final five points of the game to drop SPU to 7-7 and 5-2 in the MAAC.
• The Griffs were fantastic shooting the ball in the win, knocking down 42.2 percent of their shots and shooting 42.1 percent from downtown. Conversely, SPU shot just 36.8 percent from the floor and 26.1 percent from beyond the arc.
• Junior Daryl Banks III joined Drame in double figures with 13 to score at least 10 points for the ninth time this season as the Peacocks fell for the first time since Dec. 18 when they suffered a one-point loss on the road against Stony Brook.
• Despite the defeat, the Peacocks remain in second place behind Iona in the MAAC standings with a 5-2 record in conference play.

The Series

• All-time: Saint Peter's leads 34-25
• Streak: Marist (1)
• Last Saint Peter's Win: 2/19/2021 (W, 59-54 @ SPU)
• Last Marist Win: 2/20/2021 (L, 51-50 @ SPU)

Quick Team Notes

• After nearly a month between games from Dec. 18 to Jan. 14, the Peacocks have gone 4-1 in the 2022 calendar year to move to 5-2 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 coming off a three-game stretch where he averaged 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest.
• Banks III leads the Peacocks offensively averaging 11.3 points per game this season. Banks III has scored in double figures nine 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 8.4 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, steals per game and turnovers forced while ranking second in blocks per game and opponents' field goal percentage.
• 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 career wins. 

Shot BlocKing

• The two-time defending MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Ndefo swatted a shot in Sunday's contest against Canisius to stretch his program-best career total to 245, good for the fifth most among active players in DI.
• Ndefo leads the MAAC and is 38th in the country with 2.21 blocked shots per game this season. Ndefo has blocked at least one shot in 85 of his 98 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 92.9 percent.
• Currently, Banks III has the longest active streak in Division I with 30 consecutive made free throws dating back to Nov. 27 and has missed just three shots from the stripe this season.
• Doug Edert, meanwhile, is fourth in the MAAC shooting 86.1 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 64.1 points per game this season. The Peacocks have allowed under 70 points in seven straight games and hold a 5-2 record in those contests.
• The Peacocks also lead the MAAC and rank 47rd in the country with 8.5 steals and 15.7 turnovers forced per game on the year.
• SPU ranks second in the conference in opponents' field goal percentage and blocked shots per game.

Balancing Act

• The Peacocks have been one of the most balanced groups in the country this season and have had seven consecutive games with at least eight different scorers.
• Offensively, nine different players have scored in double figures in a game this season.
• Of the 12 student-athletes who have seen action in a game this season, 11 have at least one start.

Rundown on the Red Foxes

• Marist comes into Wednesday's matchup with an 8-9 overall record and currently sits at 3-5 in MAAC play.
• The Red Foxes have dropped three of their last four contests but were able to pick up a dominant 84-48 victory over Monmouth on Sunday, Jan. 16.
• In the five MAAC losses for Marist this season, the Red Foxes have had an average margin of defeat by just 4.8 points and have only dropped one game by double figures all season.
• Marist is led offensively by sophomore Ricardo Wright who comes into the contest ranked fourth in the league averaging 15.2 points per game. Wright has scored in double figures each of his last six games for the Red Foxes including a 24-point performance in the win over Monmouth.
• Freshman Jao Ituka has had a strong start to his collegiate career, averaging 14.3 points per game. Ituka has been named the MAAC Rookie of the Week five times already this season and is shooting 54.3 percent from the floor to lead the league.
• The Red Foxes have been strong defensively on the year, ranking inside the top-three in the MAAC and in the top 70 in the country in opponents' field goal percentage and 3-point percentage defense. 

Up Next

• The Peacocks return to Run Baby Run Arena Friday night when they take on Manhattan at 7:00 p.m.

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