By David Cordova
This season, the St. Peter’s Peacocks has been one of the surprise teams in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference as they they have been successful in conference play, due to their free throw shooting & great guard play. Last night against Quinnipiac, they showed how essential free throws are when time is running out at the end of a close game.
St. Peter’s 58, Quinnipiac 54
Early on in the beginning of the game, both teams traded baskets in the low post. But Quinnipiac took advantage early, due to the post of junior forward Chaise Daniels, as they led 9-6, with 13:09 to go in the first half.
Then St. Peter’s turned it around with back-to-back three-pointers by sophomore forward Samuel Idowu and senior guard Chazz Patterson, which brought the Peacocks ahead 12-9, with 12:33 to go in the first half.
As the game went on, Quinnipiac stayed close throughout, trailing by one, 23-22, with 3:37 left in the game. However, the Peacocks could not be denied from three-point range as senior guard Cavon Baker would make two of them to bring them up six, 28-22, with 1:07 to go in the half. The Peacocks would go into halftime, leading 30-24 and on a high note, with their free-throw shooting at 100% and 50% from three-point range.
Quinnipiac started off the second half on a mission, stepping up their defense and cutting their deficit to 34-32, with 15:14 to go. Then moments later, freshman guard Peter Kiss scored on a tip-in which tied the game at 34-34, with 13:48 left.
The game continued to stay close as Quinnipiac would trail for a few minutes and then regain their lead after a three-pointer by Kiss, which would bring them up one, with 10:23 left in the game. Then the Peacocks took over, with a layup by senior forward Quadir Welton and a three by junior guard Nick Griffin, which would bring them up four, 43-39, with 9:27 left in the game.
Although St. Peter’s remained in the game, the Bobcats continued to hold the lead, until Griffin hit a three-pointer to bring the Peacococks up two, 54-52, with 2:23 left in the game. The Peacocks would continue to hold the lead in the last seconds of the game, hitting clutch free throws to help seal the deal.
Welton led the Peacocks with 15 points and six rebounds and senior guard Trevis Wyche added 13 points in the win. For the Bobcats, junior guard Reggie Oliver led all scorers with 12 points in the loss.
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