Jersey City, N.J. (Feb. 6, 2022) - 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 Red Foxes, meanwhile, drop to 8-13 this season and are 3-9 in conference play.
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.
How It Happened
- Both teams struggled offensively through the first 12 minutes of game action with neither team able to muster enough offense to go on a run.
- Trailing 13-11, the Peacocks were the first to create separation in the game with a 9-0 run capped off by a monstrous breakaway dunk from KC Ndefo.
- The Red Foxes did not allow the game to get away from them at that point, though, cutting the deficit to four with 54 seconds left on a jump shot from Jao Ituka.
- Ndefo provided more heroics at the end of the half hitting a layup while getting fouled and knocking down the free throw to extend the lead to 27-20 heading into the break.
- It was the Banks III show coming out of the locker room in the second half as he hit three straight free throws and knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to score nine points in less than two minutes of game action as a part of the 15-2 run to grow the lead to 39-22.
- Marist was unable to climb back into it from that point on, never getting the deficit to less than 14.
- Leading 48-32, the Peacocks put an exclamation point on the win with a 14-2 run highlighted by five points from Fousseyni Drame, three by Clarence Rupert and two apiece from Doug Edert, Jaylen Murray and Oumar Diahame to grow the lead to the largest of the game 62-34.
- The Red Foxes managed to cut the final deficit down to 16 when they closed the game on a 16-2 run, but it was not enough as SPU walked away with a home win.
Inside the Numbers
- For the second time this season, the Peacocks saw 11 different players score at least one point.
- SPU took advantage of the 16 Marist turnovers with 19 points off them, six of which came as a part of the 15-2 run that sealed the game.
- Ndefo had a solid night with seven points, a team-high four assists and three rebounds in just 17 minutes of game action.
- It is just the second time this season the Red Foxes have been defeated by more than 10 points.
- Edert was also strong in the win with seven points off the bench including a big 3-pointer to push the lead to 19 and force Marist to use their final timeout with 13:12 remaining.
- SPU outrebounded Marist 31-24 allowing the second-fewest opponent rebounds this season (Manhattan, 21).
- Since his start with the Peacocks, Shaheen Holloway is now 7-2 against Marist in his career and has swept the regular season series twice in four seasons.
- In this 10-game stretch, SPU has allowed an average of just 62.3 points per game. Furthermore, at home this season, the Peacocks are 7-2 and give up just 59.4 points per contest.
From the Sidelines (Head Coach Shaheen Holloway and Junior Daryl Banks III)
Next Up
- The Peacocks will play their third of four straight home games Friday night, Feb. 11, against Rider University at 7:00 p.m.
- SPU knocked off the Broncs 58-51 in their meeting earlier this season.
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