Jersey City – The Saint Peter’s College Peacocks (1-0) won their first season opener since 1999 this afternoon, defeating the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers (0-1) 67-56 at the Yanitelli Center. Head Coach John Dunne wins his first collegiate game and becomes the first Peacock coach since Bob Kelly to win his first game on the bench.
SPC stormed out of the gates scoring the first five points and taking the early lead. They held the lead for the entire first half, stretching it to as many as eight points at 18-10 with 12:10 to play in the opening session. UMBC hung around and slowly chipped into the deficit. The Retrievers eventually tied the game at
31-31 with 1:13 to play in the half. Quentin Martin hit two free throws for SPC with 18-seconds on the clock to give the Peacocks a 33-31 lead heading to the dressing room.
31-31 with 1:13 to play in the half. Quentin Martin hit two free throws for SPC with 18-seconds on the clock to give the Peacocks a 33-31 lead heading to the dressing room.
Todd Sowell and Raul Orta each scored seven points to lead the Peacocks. Sowell also had seven rebounds and two blocks. Kevin Spann scored six points and had five rebounds in the opening session. UMBC was led by Chris Pugh who scored a game-high nine points. Jay Greene added seven points and handed out four assists.
The Retrievers came out and scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 37-33 lead at the 17:39 mark. Saint Peter’s then went a seven minute, 16-0 run, giving the Peacocks a 49-37 lead with 10:17 left to play. Tim Spitler and Spann each scored six points during the game changing run. The Peacocks continued to pour it on, expanding their cushion to 17 points at 63-46 with 3:56 remaining. UMBC cut the deficit down to nine in the final two minutes, but the Peacocks hit some free throws down the stretch to ice the game and come away with the 11-point victory.
SPC shot 44.9% from the field and 50% from the beyond the arc. Conversely, they held UMBC to just 32.8% shooting and just 30.8% from beyond the arc. Orta and Spann led the Peacocks with 15 points each. Spann also had seven assists, while Orta shot better then 50% from the field. Sowell recorded his first double-double of the season and the 16th of his career, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Martin scored nine points off the bench. The Retrievers were led by Pugh who scored a game-high 17 points, including five three-pointers. Greene added 10 points for UMBC.
SPC will have a six day layoff before returning to action on Friday, November 17 at the Tyler Ugolyn Columbia ClassicKennesaw State at 5pm on Friday and then battle either NJIT or Columbia on Saturday.. The Peacocks will take on
Saint Peter’s College is the Jesuit College of New Jersey. Founded in 1872, Saint Peter’s has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located in Jersey City. The College has a branch campus for adults in Englewood Cliffs and also offers courses at various corporate sites at the Jersey City waterfront and in South Amboy.
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