POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Saint Peter's men's basketball team solidified its placement in the MAAC Tournament after taking down Marist, 63-56, on Sunday at McCann Arena. The Peacocks were led by
Brent Bland who played the full 40 minutes and finished the game with 14 points and eight boards.
The Peacocks (17-11, 14-6 MAAC) found themselves in an absolute dogfight with the Red Foxes (18-11, 12-8 MAAC) in what ended up being a classic MAAC matchup. In a packed arena for an ESPNU televised game, Saint Peter's rallied behind its defense down the stretch as it has done all season long.
The Peacocks held Marist to its fourth-lowest scoring output all year while also getting the job done on the offensive end. Saint Peter's came into the matchup 0-4 when two or fewer players score in double figures, but that changed today as Bland was the only player to finish with double-digit points.
Zaakir Williamson,
Jahki Gupton and
Bryce Eaton each scored nine points as they collectively shot 57.9 percent (11-for19) from the field.
Elijah Perkins continued to be a lockdown defender, totaling three steals on the day, including a huge steal at the end of the game that helped the Peacocks seal the deal.
NOTES
The Peacocks are now 42-28 all-time vs. the Red Foxes and 16-15 against them on the road…Saint Peter's finished second in the MAAC after being selected 11th in the MAAC Preseason Poll…the Peacocks finished 14-6 in conference for just the fourth time in program history.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SECOND HALF: The Peacocks scored the first two baskets of the second half with Williamson making a turnaround jumper and
Lucas Scroggins rising up for a lob.
TJ Robinson and Eaton then each scored four points to give Saint Peter's a 42-36 lead with under 15 minutes to go. Marist was forced to call a timeout with 13:10 on the clock after Scroggins threw down another lob to make it 44-36.
As the second half progressed, the Peacocks took their largest lead of the game at 52-42 following a made free throw by Robinson. The Red Foxes answered with points on back-to-back possessions to stay in it. With 2:23 to go, Marist cut it to a four-point game after going 1-for-2 at the line. On the other end, Perkins made a layup to make it 57-51. It was a chaotic final minute of the game, but Saint Peter's managed to hold on for an eight-point victory.
FIRST HALF: Over the first 10 minutes of the first half, the Red Foxes built a 25-14 lead over the Peacocks. Marist was shooting 50.0 percent (10-20) from the field and 42.0 percent (3-for-7) from 3-point range as Saint Peter's had trouble settling in. In response, the Peacocks erupted for a 13-2 scoring run to tie the game at 27-27. Bland and Eaton both knocked down 3-pointers to ignite the run. Despite the quick comeback, Marist still led 31-30 at halftime.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks play the winner of No. 7 Fairfield / No. 10 Manhattan in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
