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Saint Peter's University Athletics

Clarence Rupert
Matt Kipp

Men's Basketball

Men's Basketball Battles Siena for Second Place in the MAAC Standings

SPU looks to split season series with the Saints for the sixth straight season

The Particulars
Saint Peter's (12-10, 10-5 MAAC) vs. Siena (12-10, 9-5 MAAC)
Date:
Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022 (2 PM)
Location: MVP Arena (Albany, N.Y.)
Network: ESPN+

Tip-Off

  • After knocking off Fairfield 70-59 on the road Friday night, the Saint Peter's men's basketball team returns to action with a quick turnaround as they face off against Siena at 2:00 p.m. Sunday with second place in the MAAC standings on the line.
  • The Peacocks got 16 points from KC Ndefo in a 11-point win against the Stags to stop a two-game losing skid while Siena is coming off a 62-53 defeat at the hands of Marist Friday night.

Looking Back at Fairfield

  • Led by a dominant rebounding effort and 16 points from senior KC Ndefo, SPU earned a 70-59 victory over Fairfield University Friday night inside Webster Bank Arena.
  • The Peacocks outrebounded Fairfield 43-28 in the contest and outscored the Stags 11-1 over the final 2:45 of the contest highlighted by a clutch 3-pointer from Doug Edert with 1:17 remaining to improve to 12-10 overall this season and 10-5 in MAAC play.
  • The win halted a two-game losing skid for SPU and moved them back into second place in the MAAC standings.
  • Much as he has done all season in MAAC play, Ndefo stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and three assists.
  • SPU also got strong efforts from Matthew Lee with 11 points and Fousseyni Drame with nine points and seven boards in the win.
  • On the defensive end, the Peacocks limited the Stags to 35.2 percent from the floor and 22.2 percent from 3-point range to improve to 7-2 when holding a team under 60 points.
  • With the win, SPU has now won at least 10 MAAC games in each of the last three seasons. It is the first such string of consecutive double-digit win seasons in the MAAC since the Peacocks posted three straight 11-3 conference records from 1986-87 to 1988-89.

The Series

  • All-time: SPU leads 52-45
  • Streak: Siena (2)
  • Last Saint Peter's Win: 1/22/2021 (W, 68-62 @ Siena)
  • Last Siena Win: 12/5/2021 (L, 60-58 @ SPU)

Quick Hitters

  • After nearly a month between games from Dec. 18 to Jan. 14, the Peacocks have gone 9-4 in the 2022 calendar year to move to 10-5 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 11.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.9 blocks per game in MAAC contests this season.
  • Daryl Banks III leads the Peacocks offensively overall on the season averaging 10.9 points per game this season. Banks has scored in double figures 12 times this season with eight of those performances coming in MAAC games.
  • SPU heads into the contest with one of the top defenses in the MAAC, leading the conference and ranking 43rd in DI allowing just 64.0 points per game.
  • The contest against Siena is the first of a three-game road trip for the Peacocks. SPU will close the season playing four of its final six games away from Run Baby Run Arena.
  • The Saints knocked off the Peacocks 60-58 in Jersey City earlier this season. Siena led by as many as 25 in the second half but SPU closed the game on a 24-3 run to lose by only two.

Shot BlocKing

  • The 2021-22 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, Ndefo now has a program-best career total of 274 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 16th in the country with 2.73 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 19th in the NCAA shooting 88.9 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.
  • Doug Edert, meanwhile, is second in the MAAC shooting 88.0 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 12 of their last 14 games and hold a 11-5 record this season when allowing less than 70.
  • Thus far this season, SPU leads the MAAC in 3-point field goal percentage defense, steals per game and opponents' field goal percentage. The Peacocks are also second in the league in blocked shots per game and turnovers forced per game.
  • Coming into the contest, the Peacocks rank 18th in the NCAA in opponents' 3-point percentage and 30th in overall field goal percentage defense.

Balancing Act

  • SPU has had one of the most balanced groups in the country this season and have had 16 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.

Threes Please

  • SPU is now ranked first in the MAAC and 47th in the country shooting 36.7 from 3-point range as a team this season.
  • Edert leads the way for the Peacocks and sits atop the conference shooting 45.7 percent from downtown on the year which would rank fourth in the country.
  • Banks III also ranks inside the top-five in the MAAC shooting 40.0 percent from deep.

Setting the Scene on Siena

  • The Saints head into the contest with a 12-10 overall record and sit at 9-5 in MAAC play this season, just 0.5 games behind the Peacocks in the conference standings.
  • Prior to Friday night's loss at the hands of Marist, Siena had won three straight contests including an impressive 70-64 victory over Iona at home Friday, Feb. 11. In total, the Saints have won six of their last eight games.
  • Junior Colby Rogers is the offensive leader for the Saints averaging 14.2 points per game this season. Rogers finished the last matchup between the two teams with 14 points and had scored in double figures in 14 consecutive games before his seven-point performance in Friday's loss to Marist.
  • Graduate student Anthony Gaines and senior Jackson Stormo are both strong options down low for Siena, averaging 11.2 and 10.7 points per game, respectively. Both Gaines and Stormo average 7.0 rebounds per contest to give the Saints two of the top-eight rebounders in the MAAC.
  • As a team, Siena takes good care of the basketball with the second-fewest number of turnovers in the MAAC this season. Additionally, Rogers leads the conference and ranks 31st in the country shooting 40.6 percent from 3-point range this season.
  • While the Saints have two of the top rebounders in the league, they have struggled on the glass as a team overall this season ranking ninth in the MAAC in rebounds per game. Siena also has struggled to score the ball, sitting 11th in the conference scoring just 65.6 points per game.

Up Next

  • The Peacocks continue their three-game road trip Friday night when they travel to West Long Branch, N.J., to take on Monmouth at 7:00 p.m.
  • SPU took down Monmouth 67-62 at home on Jan. 14 in their first matchup of the season.

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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
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
KC Ndefo

#11 KC Ndefo

6' 7"
Senior
F

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