Men's Basketball Defeated By Rider

JERSEY CITY, NJ.. - The Saint Peter's Men's Basketball team (10-7, 6-2 MAAC) fell 62-57 to Rider (6-13, 3-5 MAAC) Thursday night at Run Baby Run Arena. 

                                                                                                                       Game Notes 

• Three Peacocks scored in double figures. Latrell Reid led Saint Peter's with 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. SPU freshman Armoni Zeigler scored 11 points with nine rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and one assist. Corey Washington scored 11 points with five rebounds and one block.  

• Saint Peter's shot 30.3% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range. 

• Mervin James led the Broncs with 20 points, 9 rebounds, one assist, and one block. 

• With 13 minutes left in the first half, Latrell Reid assisted Mouhamed Sow in the paint for a layup which made the score 12-11. Later in the first half at the 8:34 mark, Brent Bland assisted Marcus Randolph on a Peacocks fast break. Down 18-16, Rider closed out the half on a 12-4 run. The Peacocks trailed 30-20 at halftime. 

• The Peacocks mounted a comeback effort in the second half. 

• Roy Clarke scored a layup to cut the deficit to 43-37 with 13:04 left. 

• The game got tighter In the final six minutes. Reid drained a three-pointer which brought the Peacocks within one at 46-44 with 6:48 left. Clarke added a three-pointer from the corner and the Peacocks trailed 48-47 at the 5:52 mark. 

• The Broncs answered back. Tj Weeks Jr. knocked down a three-pointer and consecutive baskets from Mervin James extended the Rider lead to 58-50. 

• With 1:26 left, Randolph drained a three-pointer which brought the Peacocks within five. Rider closed out the game with two free throws in the final minute and the game ended at 62-57. 

                                                                                                           Inside The Numbers

• The Peacocks had more second-chance points (17), points off turnovers (11), and fast break points (15) than Rider.

• The Broncs shot 52.% from the field in the second half. 

• SPU had seven steals in the game 

• Mervin James scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half. 

• Saint Peter's and Rider will meet for a second contest in Lawrenceville on Thursday Mar. 7. 

 Next, the Peacocks travel to Siena (3-15, 2-5 MAAC) on Sunday, Jan. 27. The game tips off at 2 PM and will be on ESPN+. 

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