JERSEY CITY, NJ – Saint Peter’s opened the game on a 14-2 run and led throughout in a 77-65 win over Siena Basketball at the Yanitelli Center. Senior Lavon Long scored a game-high 17 points for the Saints which saw their season long four-game winning streak snapped.
Reserve Samuel Idowu scored a career-high 14 points and shot 4-7 from three for Saint Peter’s (10-8, 6-2) which shot 11-26 from distance and outscored Siena’s (8-12, 5-4) bench 37-8. Quadir Welton also scored 14 points, and Nick Griffin and Antwon Portley added 12 points apiece for the Peacocks which moved into a tie for first place in the MAAC Standings with Monmouth.
Freshman guard Khalil Richard tied a season-high with 16 points on 6-9 shooting for the Saints in making the most of his spot start in the absence of senior guard Marquis Wright. Siena’s leader in scoring (14.5), assists (4.3) and threes (27), Wright sat out while he served a one-game suspension stemming from Tuesday night’s altercation vs. Rider.
Saint Peter’s made 11 of their first 15 shots and led by as many as 19 points in the first half in taking a 41-30 lead into the break. The Peacocks, which entered play ranked 325th out of 347 Division I teams in scoring (64.7) and 324th in field goal percentage (.401), shot 57.7% from the field in the opening stanza. Saint Peter’s scored 13 points off 10 Saints’ turnovers, and got a huge lift from their bench which delivered 23 first half points.
The Peacocks led by double digits throughout most of the second half, although a 7-0 run drew Siena as close as eight at 63-55 with 9:02 to play. But the Saints could get no closer as they fell for the seventh straight season in Jersey City.
Red-shirt senior forward Brett Bisping contributed 13 points for Siena which shot an even 50% from the field, but managed just 38 total shots as the Saints were plagued by 17 turnovers which Saint Peter’s turned into 21 points.
Siena concludes its busiest stretch during conference action where it plays five games over just 11 days, when the Saints face Manhattan Sunday at 2 p.m. in Riverdale.
