JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Saint Peter's men's basketball team (2-3) defeated UMass Lowell (1-6) by just two points, 68-66, here at Run Baby Run Arena on Saturday. The River Hawks made a run late in the game to almost win, but the Peacocks' defense fended them off and held on for the victory.
"I'll take a win every day of the week," head coach
Bashir Mason said after the game. "I'll take it. Love to learn from it. This group right here that I'm coaching needed a tough win like this and needed to be able to grind out a game for us to grow a little bit. So this is a stepping stone for us and a building block I'm happy we got to experience it."
A tough game it was indeed, and a physical one as well, as Saint Peter's was outrebounded 43-to-31. Despite that mark, the Peacocks' defense was all over the River Hawks from the tip. They totaled 21 steals and forced 24 UMass Lowell turnovers, which seemed to be the difference maker.
TJ Robinson drew cheers from the crowd with unbelievable AND-1 plays in the second half. He converted on a circus layup while being fouled before knocking down an AND-1 triple for a four-point play. These plays impacted the game a ton and ignited the team while it was trailing. Robinson went on to lead the team with 15 points.
Bol Agu secured his first double-digit point game as a Peacock, dropping 10 points in 21 minutes off the bench. He hit shots when the team needed him to and finished the day 4-for-7 from the field and 2-for-4 from 3-point range. Agu also pulled in four rebounds and grabbed three steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF: The Peacocks' defense was suffocating to start the game, racking up six steals over the first seven minutes, but the River Hawks still managed to score as both teams found themselves in a 12-12 tie. A 3-pointer by Agu gave Saint Peter's a 15-14 lead with 9:27 remaining. The tie continued at 18-18 as most of Saint Peter's points came from the 3-point line while most of UMass Lowell's came from inside the paint.
The Peacocks rattled in three straight 3-pointers to gain some separation and take a 27-21 lead over the River Hawks. With 3:47 to go, Saint Peter's held its largest lead of the game at 31-23 while forcing 10 UMass Lowell turnovers. The River Hawks responded with a 7-0 run to come within one before
Bryce Eaton ended the Peacocks' drought with a jumper. The Peacocks led 36-31 at the break after Robinson hit a corner 3-pointer with time expiring.
SECOND HALF: UMass Lowell started the second half with 10 unanswered points, taking a 41-36 lead over the Peacocks.
J'Quan Ewing put an end to the run with a turnaround hook shot, but costly fouls by Saint Peter's opened the door for the River Hawks. The Peacocks made some stops on the defensive end, which helped them get momentum going.
Saint Peter's went on a 12-0 scoring run, highlighted by Robinson converting an AND-1 layup and an AND-1 from long range. The Peacocks led, 60-50, after the run with 7:58 to go. Over the next five minutes, UMass Lowell responded with a 13-2 run to regain the lead, 63-62. The lead didn't last long as Bakare put SPU right back in front with a reverse layup. After a media timeout with 1:40 left in regulation, Bland missed a layup but hustled back and got a steal in transition to regain possession for the Peacocks while being up a point. Bland managed to convert on his second layup to lift Saint Peter's to a 66-63 lead. The Peacocks held on for a 68-66 win, following a pair of free throws by Eaton.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks will have a week of preparation before playing Dartmouth at home on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. ET.
NOTES
Saint Peter's moves to 1-2 all-time vs. UMass Lowell, notching its first win over the River Hawks in program history…the Peacocks recorded 21 steals, matching their most steals in a game from a season ago…Saint Peter's gave up just two made 3-pointers all game…UMass Lowell had 24 turnovers compared to Saint Peter's 12…Bland had a team-high six steals…the last time a Peacock had five or more steals in a game was Bland with five against FDU earlier this season.
