JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Feb. 11, 2022) - Having won six straight home games heading into the night, the Saint Peter's men's basketball team was unable to extend the streak to seven, falling 58-49 Friday night against Rider University inside Run Baby Run Arena.
The Peacocks held a 41-36 lead with 12:43 left in the second half, but only managed to make one field goal from that point on, dropping to 11-9 overall and 9-4 in MAAC play.
Rider, meanwhile, improves to 10-13 and 6-7 in the conference and extend their winning streak to four games thanks to double-digit efforts from four different players.
SPU struggled shooting the ball down the stretch, missing 12 of their last 13 shots of the game and going 6 for 24 overall in the second half.
Juniors Isiah Dasher and Matthew Lee led the Peacocks with nine points apiece while Daryl Banks III chipped in eight of his own.
Senior KC Ndefo crashed the boards hard in the contest with 11 rebounds to go along with four points and four blocked shots.
Despite the loss, SPU remains alone in second place in the MAAC standings.
How It Happened
- Trailing 13-10 early in the contest, the Peacocks were able to rattle off eight straight points to take an 18-13 lead after Jaylen Murray hit a layup with 10:39 remaining.
- After a 3-pointer from Hassan Drame gave the Peacocks a 26-18 edge, their largest lead of the game, the Broncs made sure the game did not get away from them by scoring eight of the final 10 points of the half to head into the locker room trailing only by two at 28-26.
- Rider started the second half the exact same way they ended the first with another 8-2 run to take a 34-30 lead three minutes into the half.
- The Peacocks responded quickly, heating up from beyond the arc with three straight 3-pointers, two of which came from Daryl Banks III, as a part of an 11-2 run to take the 41-36 lead.
- The SPU offense struggled from that point on as the Broncs answered with a 14-1 rally over the next seven minutes of game action to take a 50-42 lead.
- The Peacocks were unable to climb out of the eight-point hole from there, falling 58-49.
Inside the Numbers
- The Broncs were strong on the glass all night holding a 42-40 edge in rebounds with 14 offensive boards leading to 10 second-chance points.
- SPU turned the ball over 19 times in the contest, the most since turning the ball over a season-high 23 times against LIU on Nov. 23.Â
- With four more blocks, Ndefo now brings his career total to 266, the fifth-most among active Division I players.
- The Peacocks shot just 32.7 percent from the floor, the second-lowest shooting percentage in a game this season (VCU, 31.0%).
- Much as they have had all season, SPU got a balanced effort with 10 different players scoring at least two points.
- Defensively, the Peacocks held Rider to 35.0 percent from the floor and 20.0 percent from 3-point range.
Postgame Press Conference (Head Coach Shaheen Holloway)
Next Up
- SPU closes out its four-game homestand Tuesday night when they host Iona at 7:00 p.m.
- The Gaels defeated the Peacocks 85-71 in New Rochelle, N.Y., earlier this season.
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