HAMDEN, Conn. – The Saint Peter's men's basketball team couldn't hold onto its 11-point second half lead Friday night at M&T Bank Arena as Quinnipiac rallied late in the game to defeat the Peacocks, 69-64.
The Peacocks (10-15, 5-12 MAAC) have seemed to struggle putting games away lately, as they've led at halftime in their last three losses including tonight against the Bobcats (18-10, 14-3 MAAC).
Despite the loss, Saint Peter's held Quinnipiac to under 70 points, marking the first time the Bobcats have scored under 70 since Jan. 12. The Peacocks also allowed just four 3-pointers which tied the second least amount of 3s the Bobcats have made in a game all season.
For the Peacocks, scoring was fairly scattered throughout the board.
Armoni Zeigler and
Marcus Randolph each totaled 13 while
Mouhamed Sow and
Bryce Eaton each scored nine. The Saint Peter's bigs,
Stephon Roberts and
Zaakir Williamson, both finished with six points.
Tyreck Morris recorded eight points and five assists before fouling out in the closing minutes of the game.
The Peacocks came into this matchup ranked ninth in the country in offensive rebounds per game with a 14.0 average. Tonight, they pulled in just six boards on the offensive glass which limited their scoring opportunities and hurt them when it mattered most.
Saint Peter's will try to flush this defeat before it takes on another tough opponent in Marist on Sunday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF: The Peacocks and Bobcats went back and forth to start the game as neither team led by more than two points. Zeigler scored the first four for Saint Peter's.
The Peacocks led 15-13 with 10:18 remaining in the first half as three SPU players each had four points. Out of the media timeout, Quinnipiac tied it at 15-15 with a pair of free throws.
Saint Peter's then went on a 7-0 run made up of a layup from Zeigler, free throws from Morris and a floater from Eaton. During the run, the Peacocks held the Bobcats scoreless for almost three minutes.
Saint Peter's extended its lead to 10 at 26-16 following a made jumper by Randolph. The Bobcats cut their deficit to seven with a 3-pointer but Williamson picked up two on the other end with a nice post-move. Approaching the three-minute mark, Saint Peter's held a 32-23 lead over Quinnipiac.
Just as the Bobcats cut it to a five-point game, Eaton knocked down a deep triple, making it 35-27. Quinnipiac stormed back with back-to-back steals on its press to come within four. Williamson was fouled with 7.8 second left in the half and hit both shots from the line as the Peacocks went into halftime with a 37-33 lead.
SECOND HALF: Saint Peter's opened the second half outscoring Quinnipiac 9-to-2 for their largest lead of the game at 46-35. The Bobcats answered with a 3-pointer as the defense then started to ramp up on both ends of the floor.
Neither team could seem to find the bottom of the net, but almost midway through the second half, the Bobcats showed life, scoring seven unanswered points to make it a 47-51 game.
Quinnipiac tied the game at 53-53 before taking its first lead since 11:07 in the first half with a dunk. The Bobcats made it a 12-0 run for a 61-53 lead before Sow knocked down a corner 3 to end the drought.
Quinnipiac led by 10 with a minute left in regulation, but Sow hit two shots from the line and Randolph hit a transition three to cut it to five, 61-66. The Peacocks couldn't complete the late comeback, falling to the Bobcats 64-69.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks will stay on the road this weekend to play Marist on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
NOTES
Saint Peter's moves to 17-11 all-time vs. Quinnipiac and 6-7 against the Bobcats on the road.
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