HAMDEN, Conn. – The Saint Peter's men's basketball team picked up a hard-fought 74-70 win over Quinnipiac on Wednesday at M&T Bank Arena. Big performances by
Jahki Gupton,
Brent Bland and
Bryce Eaton elevated the Peacocks to victory and helped them move into first place in the MAAC.
The Peacocks (9-6, 6-1 MAAC) outdueled the Bobcats (12-6, 5-2 MAAC) in the second half despite trailing by seven points with under eight-and-a-half minutes to go in regulation. Bland and Eaton took over late and scored the team's final 11 points as Saint Peter's won its first game at M&T Bank Arena since Dec. 3, 2021.
Eaton finished with a team-high 18 points and four assists while Bland tallied 17 points and five boards. The most impactful player for Saint Peter's, however, may have been Gupton. He recorded a season-high 17 points on 55.6 percent (5-for-9) shooting, six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Saint Peter's entered the matchup with 10 straight games of grabbing double-digit offensive rebounds, but the Peacocks were held to seven tonight. With fewer second-chance opportunities, Saint Peter's had to make the most of each possession, and it did, especially down the stretch.
NOTES
Saint Peter's is now 18-11 all-time against the Bobcats and 7-7 against them on the road…the last time the Peacocks won at M&T Bank Arena was a 69-59 victory on Dec. 3, 2021…Gupton recorded a career-high 17 points…Saint Peter's and Merrimack both share a 6-1 conference record, but the Peacocks won the first head-to-head matchup…
Elijah Perkins recorded a career-high nine rebounds…
Lucas Scroggins recorded a career-high four blocks…the Peacocks are now 4-4 in night games this season…SPU is now 6-1 when it outrebounds its opponents.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SECOND HALF: Quinnipiac wasted no time cutting down its deficit to start the second half. The Bobcats made a few 3-pointers which quickly tied the game at 46-46. Bland managed to hit a long-range jumper for the Peacocks to put them back on top, but after that the Bobcats went on a 9-0 run for a 55-51 lead with 10 minutes to go.
Free throws by Saint Peter's and made shots by Eaton helped the Peacocks stay close late in the game. With just 5:03 remaining in regulation, SPU faced a 60-63 deficit. Gupton was fouled on a 3-point attempt, and he tied the game at 63-all after making all three free throws. Approaching the two-minute mark, Bland regained the lead for Saint Peter's after a trip to the free throw line. Bland hit a huge stepback jumper after a Quinnipiac turnover to put the Peacocks up, 71-63. The Bobcats cut it down to just a two-point difference with eight seconds left, but Bland hit two free throws at the end to close the game out.
FIRST HALF: Saint Peter's had a huge start to the game, making six of its first seven shots and building a 16-5 lead over the first five minutes. Bland, Eaton and Gupton all knockded down 3-pointers to contribute to the early lead. As the Bobcats settled in, they started to chip away at the deficit. They ended up going on an 11-2 run to make it a 17-20 game with 11:30 remaining in the first half. Over the next six minutes, the Peacocks shot 4-for-7 from the field, outscoring Quinnipiac 14-to-4 and retaking a double-digit lead at 34-21. The Bobcats answered with some made shots in the final minutes, but it was Saint Peter's that went into halftime with a 38-33 lead.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks look to continue their winning streak on Saturday when they take on the Rider Broncs at home at 2 p.m. ET.
