Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Marvin Dominique (Miramar, Fla./Miramar [Fordham]) recorded three dunks in the game, including a jam with 8:44 left to give Saint Peter's the lead it would not relinquish en route to a 66-53 win against Siena in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men's basketball action on Friday.
With the score tied at 40, Dominique received the ball just on the defensive end of half court and then went the rest of the way and dunked the ball with 8:44 left. The junior was fouled on the play and drained the free throw to give the Peacocks a 43-40 lead. Dominique finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds to notch his ninth double-double of the season.
Desi Washington (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin [Delaware State]) registered a game-high 18 points for Saint Peter's (8-14, 4-9 MAAC) while Trevis Wyche (Neptune, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) added 13 points and five assists in the winning effort.
Ryan Oliver paced the Saints (10-14, 6-7 MAAC) with 15 points. Brett Bisping added 11 points and eight rebounds and Lavon Long chipped in 10 points in the loss.
Saint Peter's seemed to control the advantage for most of the night, but it wasn't until Dominique's explosive dunk gave the Peacocks the lead for good to split the season series with Siena. The two teams have not each won on its home floor in each of the last two seasons.
Imoh Silas tied the game at 40 with a layup at 10:11. With the Saints using the old Gary Williams' University of Maryland traditional full court press, Dominique was able to break the press after receiving the ball near midcourt and then went the rest of the way to jam home the go-ahead basket with 8:44 on the clock and then converted the free throw to give Saint Peter's the lead for good at 43-40.
The game remained close with the teams battling back and forth, but after Marquis Wright made it a two-point game with 6:05 left after a free throw, the Peacocks rolled off the next 10 points to take a 58-46 lead with 2:40 remaining.
Dominique started the run with two free throws at 4:56 before Washington made the second of two free throws at 4:40 and drilled a jumper 35 seconds later for a seven-point edge. Chris Burke (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) then drained a 3-pointer at 3:15 and Dominique capped the run the same way he started it with two charity tosses at 2:40 for a 58-46 advantage en route to a 66-53 victory to end a five-game losing streak.
The game started out as a seesaw battle between the two teams with neither team able to take more than a three-point lead midway through the first half.
With the Peacocks clinging to a 13-12 edge, Saint Peter's rolled off the next six points to take a seven-point advantage. Jamel Fields (Albany, N.Y./Cheshire Academy [Fairfield]) started the spurt with a free throw at 9:28 before Washington scored in the lane at 9:14 and Dominique recorded a put-back dunk at 7:28 for a 19-12 advantage.
The Saints were able to trim the margin to three points twice over the next seven minutes before Wyche scored in the lane with 54 seconds left and Dominique hit a free throw with 31 seconds left for a six-point lead. Bisping made two free throws with one second on the clock to trim the margin to 26-22 going into the locker room.
Wyche opened the second half with a long trey as the shot clocked expired to extend the Saint Peter's lead to 29-22 with 18:56 left.
With the Peacocks holding a 31-24 edge, Siena scored the next nine points fueled by seven from Oliver to give the Saints a 33-31 margin with 14:47 on the clock.
The two teams then battled back and forth for the next six minutes before Dominique's dunk that help propel Saint Peter's to the victory.
Burke finished the game with seven points and nine rebounds.
The Peacocks return to action on Sunday when they welcome Monmouth to the Yanitelli Center as part of the Hourglass Rivalry. Game time is 2 p.m.
