The win keeps Saint Peter’s one game behind Merrimack in the competitive MAAC.
JERSEY CITY, NJ — On Saturday afternoon, the Peacocks’ home matchup against the Siena Saints on Alumni Day was as good as advertised. Both teams laid haymakers in this contest. The win required toughness, intensity, and tenacity.
The Peacocks managed to do all those things, earning a 70-65 victory, and snapping the Saints’ six-game winning streak. Saint Peter’s improved to 14-8 (11-3 in MAAC play), and punched its ticket to the MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City next month.
Bashir Mason: “Siena is a well-oiled machine. Grown men out there. I’m impressed by how they go about their business. We had to grind it out, getting the stops we needed.”
After the Peacocks finished the first half with a 36-28 lead at halftime, the Saints (17-8, 10-4) responded with a 37-34 second-half finish. Gavin Doty (19 points) executed a couple of 3-point plays, cutting the Saints’ deficit to 69-65.
Zakir Williamson missed both free throws with 28.1 seconds to go, putting the Saints within striking distance. Elijah Perkins stole the ball off Doty, and he was fouled to slow down the clock. No matter. Perkins wrapped up the game by making a free throw.
Bryce Eaton (22 points) and Brent Bland (11 points) led the way for the Peacocks. Zakir Williamson added 10 points. But it was Lucas Scroggins who stood out in this physical contest. He grabbed eight rebounds, including holding several loose balls in the second half. He took charge several times. He scored nine points.
“Lucas is like an Engerzier bunny, “ Mason marveled. “He embraced physicality. (But) He needs to learn how to stop fouling.”
Scroggins also played a role in the Peacocks’ runs to finish both halves. “Amazing,” Mason answered when asked about Scroggins’ impact in the game. “He caught a lob in transition that put us on a run (11-0) in the first half. He caught another lob and blocked a shot that put us on a run (8-4) in the second half.”
The Peacocks grinded it out by outrebounding the Saints 27-24 and forcing the Saints to 13 turnovers, resulting in 13 fastbreak points. The home team secured 12 second-chance points and reached the free-throw line 36 times, converting 22 of them. It also helped that Siena was plagued with foul problems, including being whistled for four fouls in one minute during the run.
It isn’t just the win that was rewarding for the Peacocks against a quality team. It was about making sure their home conference record remains undefeated at 9-0 and improving to 11-1 at home.
“Our emphasis is to protect the home court,” Mason asked about his team’s play at home. “We lost a lot of games at home last year, and we spoke at the beginning of the year about the need to do what we’re doing now, win at home.”
The Peacocks will travel to Fairfield, CT, on Friday night to play Sacred Heart (7 PM, ESPN+).
