JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Feb. 27, 2022) - Led by a dominant defensive effort allowing the least amount of points since 2015, the Saint Peter's men's basketball team picked up a 63-36 victory over Niagara University Sunday inside Run Baby Run Arena.
Junior Daryl Banks III scored 13 points and Hassan Drame finished with 10 rebounds as the Peacocks earned their largest margin of victory over a MAAC opponent since defeating Quinnipiac 76-45 on Feb. 9, 2017. SPU improved to 14-11 overall and 12-6 in MAAC play.
Niagara, meanwhile, were held to their lowest number of points since Feb. 15, 1947 as they dropped to 12-15 overall and 7-11 in conference play.
With the win, SPU has clinched at least a top-three seed in the MAAC Tournament for the third straight season.
The Peacocks held the Purple Eagles to 24.1 percent from the floor and 20.0 percent from 3-point range while shooting 47.4 percent offensively in the victory.
Senior KC Ndefo also filled up the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds, two assists as SPU will now battle with Siena for the #2 seed in the conference tournament.
How It Happened
- SPU was dominant wire-to-wire, jumping ahead 9-0 on a Banks III and extending the lead to as many as 17 eight minutes into the contest at 19-2 after Clarence Rupert knocked down a free throw.
- In the 19-2 run, the Peacocks got points from Ndefo, H. Drame, Matthew Lee, Banks III, Rupert and Fousseyni Drame.
- Niagara with nine straight points of their own to cut the deficit back down to single digits at the under-8 timeout.
- The Peacocks answered right back, firing up the defensive intensity to score eight straight points and make the score 27-11 after another 3-pointer from Banks III.
- Heading into the break, SPU held a 15-point lead at 31-16.
- Coming out of halftime, the Purple Eagles threatened to get back into the contest with six straight points but Banks III and Hassan Drame answered with seven straight points of their own to push the lead to 20.
- Leading 48-31, the Peacocks did not let off the gas over the final 9:42, out scoring Niagara 15-3 over the next eight minutes of action to push the lead to 29 before winning 63-36.
Inside the Numbers
- SPU dominated in almost every statistical category in the contest, including a 16-4 edge in points off turnovers, a 14-4 advantage in second chance points, a 27-6 edge in bench points and a 40-12 advantage in points in the paint.
- The Peacocks never trailed in the win and have led for the last 63:39 of game action dating back to Friday's win over Monmouth.
- The 36 points allowed were the least SPU has given up since allowing just 33 in the MAAC Tournament against Fairfield on March 5, 2015.
- The Peacocks won the contest despite shooting just 3 for 20 from 3-point range in the game.
- SPU had nine different scorers in the win marking the 19th straight game the Peacocks have had at least eight different players put the ball in the basket.
- Lee facilitated the offense well all night with five assists to go along with five points and three rebounds.
- In total, the Peacocks had 15 assists on 27 made shots in the contest.
- If the season ended today, SPU would be the #3 seed in the MAAC Tournament behind Iona and Siena by virtue of the Saints 2-0 record against the Peacocks this season.
Postgame Press Conference (Head Coach Shaheen Holloway, Daryl Banks III, Hassan Drame, KC Ndefo)
Next Up
- The Peacocks will travel on the road one last time before the MAAC Tournament Tuesday when they head to Riverdale, N.Y., to take on Manhattan at 7:00 p.m.
- SPU defeated the Jaspers 77-51 in Jersey City in their first matchup of the season.
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