EMMITSBURG, Md. – The Saint Peter's men's basketball team (7-6, 4-1 MAAC) fell to Mount St. Mary's (6-11, 2-4 MAAC) by a final score of 65-70 on Friday at Knott Arena, marking the Peacocks' first conference defeat of the season.
The Peacocks finished the game with 42 total rebounds, 20 of which came on the offensive end, but it was a struggle for them to score second-chance points, which was a difference maker.
TJ Robinson led the charge for Saint Peter's, providing a much-needed spark offensively throughout the game. He finished with 18 points on 11-for-13 shooting from the charity stripe while adding two rebounds and three assists.
Jahki Gupton also had a solid performance with a double-double (points-rebounds). Gupton recorded 11 points and 10 boards, both season-highs.
NOTES
Saint Peter's is now 6-6 against the Mountaineers and 2-3 against them on the road…the Peacocks recorded 20 offensive rebounds and 12 second-chance points…the last time SPU had 20 offensive boards in a game was against Rider on Feb. 16, 2025…Saint Peter's finished with 17 fastbreak points compared to the Mountaineers' 10.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SECOND HALF: The Mountaineers opened the second half on an 8-0 run before
Zaakir Williamson ended the streak with a corner 3. Shortly after a Saint Peter's timeout,
Eric Morgan Jr. hit a stepback 3-pointer to bring the Peacocks within three, 40-43. Costly turnovers turned into points for Mount St. Mary's, but SPU stayed in it as Williamson converted an AND-1 layup.
With just under 10 minutes left, a pair of free throws by
Brent Bland tied the game, 48-48. Both teams fought back and forth as the tie continued to 56-56. A free throw completed a Mount St. Mary's AND-1 as the Mountaineers took a 59-58 lead. With under a minute-and-a-half to go, the Mountaineers hit a corner triple to go up 64-58. The Peacocks were unable to come back in the final minutes as Mount St. Mary's secured a five-point win.
FIRST HALF: Saint Peter's trailed the Mountaineers, 2-6, at the first media timeout as Mount St. Mary's rattled in two 3-pointers. On back-to-back possessions, Robinson knocked down free throws to help the Peacocks slow things down and tie the game at 11-11. As the half progressed, both teams kept it a close game.
The Peacocks gained some separation approaching the six-minute mark as six unanswered points made it 25-19. The 6-0 run was made up of a 3-pointer by Gupton and an AND-1 layup by Robinson. Shortly after, Mount St. Mary's responded with a 7-0 run to regain the lead, 28-27. SPU wasted no time taking the lead back as Williamson hit a jumper. Saint Peter's held a 33-31 advantage at the break.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks are back at Run Baby Run Arena on Sunday when they play Merrimack at 2 p.m. ET.
