FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Saint Peter's men's basketball team nearly came back to beat Sacred Heart on Friday night at William H. Pitt Center, but ultimately fell to the Pioneers by a final score of 71-78.
The Peacocks (14-9, 11-4 MAAC) dominated down low throughout the game, scoring 40 points in the paint compared to 18 from Sacred Heart, but the difference maker came from behind the arc tonight. The Pioneers (11-16, 6-9 MAAC) knocked down 11 3-pointers, tying the second most 3s SPU has allowed in a game all year.
Despite fouling out of the game,
Jahki Gupton made his presence felt, especially in the first half. He helped keep the Peacocks afloat with 10 first half points before finishing the game with 15. Gupton also added four boards and two blocks in 21 minutes of playing time.
TJ Robinson and
Shaedon Simpson had impactful performances coming off the bench. Robinson helped get the Saint Peter's offense going in the second half, making several acrobatic shots and earning trips to the free throw line. He ended with 11 points and four assists in 16 minutes on the floor. Simpson made two clutch 3-pointers later in the game that gave the Peacocks life.
Brent Bland also fouled out of the game, but he still put together a solid outing with 12 points, six rebounds and two steals.
NOTES
The Peacocks are now 3-1 all-time vs. the Pioneers and 1-1 against them on the road…Saint Peter's committed just seven turnovers, its second fewest in a game all season…the Peacocks pulled in 17 offensive rebounds which led to 23 second chance points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SECOND HALF: The second half started back and forth as neither team seemed to gain an apparent advantage. Just under the 10-minute mark, Simpson knocked down a shot from behind the arc, bringing the Peacocks within four points, 50-54. The Pioneers answered right back with a 3-pointer of their own.
Bryce Eaton then hit shots on back-to-back possessions to make it a three-point game. Another made 3 by Simpson cut the SPU deficit to two at 58-60.
With under six minutes remaining, Sacred Heart scored four unanswered points, bringing its lead to 64-58. After a defensive stop, Eaton brought the ball up the floor, pulled up for a jumper and then changed his mind mid-air to kick it out to Bland. Bland knocked down the 3-pointer to make it a 63-64 game. Out of a Sacred Heart timeout, the Pioneers hit a 3-pointer at the top of the key. Gupton stormed down the floor for a dunk to make it 65-68 with two minutes left. SHU hit yet another 3 in response to put the Peacocks out of reach.
FIRST HALF: Over the first 10 minutes of the game, Sacred Heart built a 21-15 lead over the Peacocks with the help of six made 3-pointers. The Pioneers' ability to shoot the ball kept them ahead as Saint Peter's struggled to keep up. After trailing by as much as 10, the Peacocks came within six after a made stepback jumper by
Eric Morgan Jr. Saint Peter's only trailed 33-40 at halftime, despite Sacred Heart shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from 3.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks tipoff against the Fairfield Stags on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. ET. Saint Peter's won the first matchup between the two teams when they met in Fairfield.
