Saint Peter's Can't Hold On In Overtime, Falls To Manhattan

RIVERDALE, N.Y. –  The Saint Peter's men's basketball team fought hard to the very end against Manhattan, but fell, 83-84, in overtime at Draddy Gymnasium on Saturday.

The Peacocks (7-13, 2-10 MAAC) led the Jaspers (11-10, 6-6 MAAC) at halftime and even in the closing minutes of regulation, but fouls led to free throws which haunted SPU down the stretch. 

Manhattan went 27-for-29 from the free throw line, proving to be the difference maker in the matchup. Saint Peter's shot more accurately from the field, outrebounded and outassisted the Jaspers, but couldn't overcome foul trouble to pull out the road victory.

Leading the charge offensively for Saint Peter's was Marcus Randolph who finished with 24 points, going 10-for-19 from the field. Eric Morgan Jr. had a solid showing off the bench, scoring 11 points and draining what would have been a clutch 3-pointer in overtime. He also made the driving layup to tie the game and send it to overtime.  

Adetokunbo Bakare knocked down three 3s for the third time in the last four games. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists. Mouhamed Sow and Stephon Roberts each pulled in nine boards as Sow neared a double-double performance with nine points as well.

The Peacocks will return to the hardwood next Friday, Feb. 14 when they take on Fairfield at Run Baby Run Arena. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF: Scoring was slow at the start for both teams, as the Peacocks trailed just 4-5 at the first media timeout. Over the next few minutes, Zaakir Williamson converted back-to-back layups to put Saint Peter's up 11-8. Manhattan responded with a 3 to tie it at 11-11. 

Approaching the 10-minute mark, the Peacocks held a 16-11 lead following a long range jumper from Bryce Eaton. The Jaspers managed to tie it once again at 17-17, but Randolph made a driving layup followed by a pull-up jumper, putting Saint Peter's up by four. 

The Peacocks took their largest lead of the game at 27-19, but Manhattan quickly came back to close it to a 25-27 deficit. It started raining 3s for Saint Peter's as Bakare knocked down a triple followed by two 3s from Randolph. With five seconds remaining in the first half, Morgan Jr. made two free throws as the Peacocks went into the break with a 40-35 advantage. 

SECOND HALF: To open the second half, the Jaspers outscored SPU 8-2 to take a 43-42 lead. Saint Peter's and Manhattan went back-and-forth over the next few minutes before Eaton, Randolph and Sow all scored to put the Peacocks back up seven, 55-48.

The Jaspers responded with 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions and a layup to make it a two-point game at 56-58. After the Peacocks took a four-point lead, Manhattan knocked down another 3 to make it 59-60. Both teams then found themselves in a 63-63 tie down the stretch. 

Saint Peter's and Manhattan both went on quick 4-0 runs to make it 67-67. The Jaspers took the lead with a jumper, forcing an SPU timeout. Out of the break, Morgan Jr. drove to the basket to tie it at 71-71. The Peacocks' defense got a stop on the other end before calling another timeout with 28.1 seconds left in regulation. 

OVERTIME: Saint Peter's struck first with a bucket from Eaton, but Manhattan tied it with free throws. The Peacocks then went up four, 77-73, but once again the Jaspers responded well with a 3-pointer. Williamson went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe as SPU led 78-76. 

In a tie game, Morgan Jr. hit a clutch 3, but Manhattan matched on the other end with a jumper from behind the arc. Saint Peter's and Manhattan were tied at 83-83 with 47.2 remaining in overtime. 
The Peacocks missed their shot to take the lead as the Jaspers hit another free throw with 2.8 seconds to take an 84-83 win. 

UP NEXT
The Peacocks return home to Jersey City to play Fairfield on Friday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

NOTES
Saint Peter's moves to 61-69-1 vs. Manhattan all-time and 20-31 against the Jaspers on the road. Read Full Article