Men's Basketball Looks to Win Seventh Straight at Home Friday Against Rider

The Particulars
Saint Peter's (11-8, 9-3 MAAC) vs. Rider (9-13, 5-7 MAAC)
Date: Friday, Feb. 11, 2022 (7:00 PM)
Location: Run Baby Run Arena
Network: ESPN3

Tip-Off

• After winning eight of their last 10 games and seven straight games inside Run Baby Run Arena, the Saint Peter's men's basketball team returns to action Friday night at home against Rider.
• The Peacocks head into the matchup coming off a 66-50 win over Marist while the Broncs took down Manhattan at home Tuesday night 76-67.

Looking Back at Marist

• Leading 24-20 with less than a minute to play in the first half, the Saint Peter's University men's basketball team bridged the two periods with a 15-2 run to extend the lead to 17 and never looked back, cruising to a 66-50 win over Marist College Sunday afternoon inside Run Baby Run Arena.
• Despite playing just 11 minutes, junior Daryl Banks III hit every shot he took and was the leading scorer for the Peacocks with 13 points. SPU improved to 11-8 overall this season and 9-3 in MAAC play, still alone in second place in the conference standings.
• The Peacocks were dominant on the defensive end of the ball forcing 16 Marist turnovers and holding the Red Foxes to 39.1 percent from the floor and 20.0 percent from beyond the arc. The 50 points for Marist is the lowest total they have produced this season, 10 less than their previous season-low of 60 against Fairfield and Siena. 
• SPU, meanwhile, shot 47.1 percent in the contest and knocked down 8 of 16 shots from downtown and have now made at least eight 3-pointers in six of their last seven games.
• Junior Fousseyni Drame was also strong off the bench with eight points and eight rebounds as the Peacocks are now 8-2 in their last 10 games and 7-2 at home.

The Series

• All-time: Rider leads 39-34
• Streak: Saint Peter's (2)
• Last Saint Peter's Win: 1/16/22 (W, 58-51 @ Rider)
• Last Rider Win: 2/27/21 (L, 78-65 @ SPU)

Quick Hitters

• After nearly a month between games from Dec. 18 to Jan. 14, the Peacocks have gone 8-2 in the 2022 calendar year to move to 9-3 in MAAC play and vault into second place in the MAAC.
• KC Ndefo, the two-time reigning MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, heads into the contest averaging 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 blocks per game in MAAC games this season.
• Daryl Banks III leads the Peacocks offensively overall on the season averaging 11.4 points per game this season. Banks has scored in double figures in five of his last seven games with his 13-point performance against Marist.
• SPU heads into the contest with one of the top defenses in the MAAC, leading the conference and ranking 54th in DI allowing just 64.2 points per game.
• The contest against Rider is the third in a four-game homestand for the Peacocks, the longest of the season, as they will play six of their last 10 games inside Run Baby Run Arena.
• The Peacocks defeated the Broncs 58-51 in Lawrenceville, N.J., earlier this season led by a 12-point effort by Doug Edert.

Shot BlocKing

• The 2021-22 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, Ndefo now has a program-best career total of 262 blocks, good for the fifth most among active players in DI.
• In the home win over Quinnipiac on Friday, Feb. 4, Ndefo swatted 11 shots to set the single-game program record for blocks in a game. It was tied for the second-most blocked shots all-time in a MAAC game.
• After leading the country in blocks per game in 2020-21, Ndefo is atop the MAAC and is 23rd in the country with 2.53 blocked shots per game this season. 

Money from the Stripe

• Banks III is one of the top free throw shooters in the country, leading the conference and ranked 12th in the country shooting 91.2 percent from the line.
• From Nov. 27 to Jan. 26, Banks III made 34 straight free throws which is currently the fourth-longest streak in Division I this season.
• Edert, meanwhile, is second in the MAAC shooting 86.7 percent from the line this season. He has missed just six free throws this season.

Defense Wins Championships

• The Peacocks have allowed under 70 points in 10 of their last 12 games and hold a 10-4 record this season when allowing less than 70.
• Defensively, SPU leads the league in steals per game and scoring defense this season. 
• Additionally, the Peacocks rank second in the MAAC in blocks per game, opponents' field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage defense and turnovers forced per contest.

Balancing Act

• The Peacocks have been one of the most balanced groups in the country this season and have had 13 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. Additionally, all 12 are averaging at least 10 minutes per contest.

Three's Please

• SPU is now ranked first in the MAAC and 48th in the country shooting 36.6 from 3-point range as a team this season.
• Edert leads the way for the Peacocks and sits atop the conference shooting 46.0 percent from downtown on the year.
• Banks III also ranks inside the top-five in the MAAC shooting 40.2 from deep.

Spectator Policy

• All guests ages 12 and older must provide proof of a completed series of World Health Organization (WHO)-approved COVID-19 vaccination.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Full vaccination is achieved two weeks following a person's second dose of a two-dose vaccine series such as Pfizer and Moderna, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine such as Johnson & Johnson.
• Masks are required at all events inside the Yanitelli Center regardless of vaccination status.
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination may be demonstrated by displaying a photo or hard copy of a CDC vaccination card, NJ DOCKET app, New York State Excelsior App, or an official vaccination record. We ask that you have such proof readily available prior to arriving at the venue.
• Anyone 18 years or older must also present an appropriate ID with proof of vaccination, which must contain the name of the individual, and a photo of the individual or the individual's date of birth. Examples of acceptable forms of identification include but are not limited to: a driver's license, non-driver government ID card, passport and/or school or work-issued ID card.

Rundown on Rider

• Rider currently sits at 9-13 overall this season and 5-7 in MAAC play just over halfway through the conference season.
• The Broncs head into the contest having won three straight league games over Canisius, Siena and Manhattan and have now won four of their last five games.
• Graduate student Dimencio Vaughn is the leading scorer for Rider this season averaging 13.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season. Vaughn produced a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double in the contest against SPU earlier this season and leads the MAAC with 39 steals this season.
• Senior Dwight Murray Jr. is scoring 12.8 points per game while also pulling down 6.8 boards per contest. Murray Jr. is a workhorse in the lineup for Rider averaging a league-high with just under 37 minutes per game. 
• As a team, the Broncs have done a strong job of controlling the basketball as they lead the MAAC in steals and turnover margin.
• Rider has had issues shooting the ball from deep this season, ranking 11th in the conference in 3-pointers per game and 10th in 3-point field goal percentage.

Up Next

• SPU returns to Run Baby Run Arena Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. for their fourth straight home game when they take on Iona College. 
• The Peacocks fell to the Gaels 85-77 in New Rochelle, N.Y., earlier this season and currently sit two games behind them in the MAAC standings.

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