The Particulars
Saint Peter's (4-6, 2-1 MAAC) vs. Rider (5-9, 1-3 MAAC)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 16 (2:00 PM)
Location: Alumni Gymnasium
Network: ESPN3
Tip-Off
- Coming off possibly the most impressive win of the season Friday night against Monmouth, the Saint Peter's men's basketball team will have to handle a quick turnaround as they travel to Lawrenceville, N.J., to take on Rider University Sunday.
- The Peacocks took down the Hawks 67-62 at home Friday coming off a 27-day layoff from competition while the Broncs head into the matchup after dropping a narrow 77-70 overtime contest at home against Quinnipiac Friday night.
Looking Back at Monmouth
- Returning to the court for the first time in 27 days, SPU showed little rust and used a total team effort to defeat Monmouth 67-62 and hand the Hawks their first MAAC loss of the season.
- The Peacocks tied a season low with only nine turnovers and 10 different student-athletes had at least two points as they improved to 4-6 overall and 2-1 in MAAC play while Monmouth dropped to 10-4 and 2-1 in the league.
- Junior Daryl Banks III led SPU with 13 points to reach double figures for the seventh time in the last eight games while KC Ndefo added 12 points and eight boards to help the Peacocks secure the win.
- SPU did a large amount of damage from the free throw line down the stretch as they scored 12 of their final 14 points from the line, shooting 12 for 15 from the charity stripe in the final 4:06 of game action.
- Both freshman Jaylen Murray and sophomore Oumar Diahame made their first career starts for the Peacocks and combined to score 10 points while adding nine boards in the win.
- Defensively, SPU was fantastic defending the 3-point line holding the Hawks to 3 for 13 from beyond the arc despite the fact that Monmouth came into the matchup ranked second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage.
The Series
- All-time: Rider leads 39-33
- Streak: Saint Peter's (1)
- Last Saint Peter's Win: 3/11/2021 (W, 75-60 @ MAAC Tournament)
- Last Rider Win: 2/27/2021 (L, 78-65 @ Rider)
Team Notes
- After nearly a month between games, the Peacocks took down Monmouth to vault into a tie for third in the MAAC standings at 2-1.
- Ndefo, the 2021-22 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, heads into the contest having scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
- Banks III, a Preseason All-MAAC Second Team selection, leads the Peacocks offensively averaging 12.4 points per game this season. He has scored in double figures in seven of SPU's last eight contests.
- Junior guard Doug Edert is just outside of double figures with 9.8 points per contest with a pair of 17-point games to his ledger.
- Junior Fousseyni Drame is the team's leading rebounder, sitting fourth in the MAAC with 7.7 boards per game. Drame averages 8.8 points per game and is shooting 51.5 percent from the floor this season.
Shot Block King
- The two-time defending MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Ndefo added two more blocks to his ledger in the win over Monmouth to bring his career total to 239, good for the fifth most among active players in DI.
- Ndefo leads the MAAC with 2.5 blocked shots per game this season and has a block in 82 of his 94 games played with the Peacocks.
Money from the Stripe
- Banks III is leading the conference and ranked 15th in the country in free throw percentage at 90.9 percent.
- Banks III has made 21 consecutive free throws dating back to Nov. 27 and has missed just three shots from the stripe this season.
- Edert, meanwhile, is third in the MAAC shooting 87.5 percent from the line this season. He has also missed just three free throws this season.
Defense Wins Championships
- SPU heads into the contest with one of the top defenses in the MAAC, ranking second in the conference allowing just 65.9 points per game.
- The Peacocks also rank second in the conference in opponents field goal percentage, turnovers forced, blocked shots per game and steals per game.
- SPU is the only team in the MAAC to rank inside the top-two in those categories defensively.
Brushing Up on the Broncs
- Rider comes into the matchup with a 1-3 record in MAAC play after dropping Friday's contest in OT against Quinnipiac.
- Dimencio Vaughn is the team's leading scorer this season averaging 13.1 points while also pulling down 7.1 rebounds per contest.
- Dwight Murray Jr. joins Vaughn in double figures averaging 12.1 points per game and is third on the team with 6.0 boards per matchup.
- The Broncs take care of the basketball, ranking second in the MAAC with a +1.57 turnover margin thus far this season.
- Rider has struggled some shooting the ball this year, ranking 11th in the conference shooting just 38.8 percent from the floor as a team.
Rider University Spectator Policy
- Rider University has determined that spectators will be permitted at indoor and outdoor home athletic events for the 2021-22 seasons. Currently all athletic venues on campus will operate at full capacity and permit spectators, however, that is subject to change based on New Jersey state, county and local guidance as well as University policies pertaining to continuing COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
- Spectators coming to campus that are external to the campus community (i.e. they are not current Rider students, faculty or staff) must complete Rider University's Assumption of Risk form and submit it upon arrival at facility the first time attending a home contest. After submitting the Assumption of Risk form the initial time, all spectators can then download Rider's CampusClear COVID-19 symptom assessment app and register as a visitor to Rider University. The CampusClear app, which can be downloaded via the app store or Google play or by visiting https://www.campusclear.com/, should then be used to record any potential symptoms each subsequent time a spectator comes to a home contest. All spectators will be required to either have the Assumption of Risk form or show the "Good to Go" results and smiling face on the CampusClear app to enter the facility.
- Those who purchase men's or women's basketball or wrestling tickets online will automatically complete the waiver during their purchase transaction.
- All Rider students, faculty and staff who attend home athletic events must complete the daily CampusClear COVID-19 symptom assessment app and show it upon arrival at each facility for each home game.
- Masks will be required for everyone during all indoor athletic events regardless of vaccination status. Masks are required outdoors for unvaccinated spectators.
- Rider University recently installed UV light in the HVAC system in Alumni Gym as an added precaution. UV lights for HVAC systems kill the DNA of germs, viruses, mold spores, bacteria and fungi as they pass through the air handler system and are very effective at killing close to one hundred percent of these harmful pollutants.
- All guidelines are subject to change and additional health and safety measures could be implemented depending on the facility and sport.
- For questions or additional information, please contact the Department of Athletics at 609-896-5054.
Up Next
- The Peacocks will have another quick turnaround as they will play three games in five days when they return home to take on Canisius at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
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