JERSEY CITY, N.J. – St. Peter’s has come on as of late and finished strong in the MAAC. Their win over Manhattan on Sunday epitomized the idea of a late surge as Wesley Jenkins buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to give St. Peter’s a 66-63 win. It was senior day at Yanitelli Center and St. Peter’s finished the campaign on an upbeat note.
One of the key components of the victory was playing most of the game without Ryan Bacon. The St. Peter’s sophomore and inside force was limited to nine minutes before fouling out late with five points. In his absence, Akeem Gooding made a huge difference. “He (Gooding) really stepped up and was a difference,” agreed Manhattan mentor Barry Rohrssen.
Gooding is listed as 6-4 but plays a good deal “taller”. He had a 19-point, eight-rebound effort and took over in the paint in Bacon’s absence. “He (Gooding) has played well for us in the stretch,” St. Peter’s coach John Dunne said. “There are games he hasn’t scored well but each night out he has defended.”
Dunne also noted the significance of the win because it came on an afternoon the Peacocks did not play particularly well. “For us to play as we did and get a win shows the progress we have made,” Dunne said.
St. Peter’s trailed by seven at the half and throughout the contest had a difficult time matching up with Daryl Crawford. The 6-4 Manhattan guard led all scorers with 33 points and proved to be a handful to defend all afternoon. Crawford penetrated, hit jump shots, and simply was the Jaspers’ major threat as he’s been all season. “Darryl has done a lot to help this team,” Rohrssen said. “Not just today but throughout the year.”
The final result hinged on not what Crawford could do, but Manhattan’s defense. “We just didn’t defend as well as we could and should in that second half,” Rohrssen. In the first half St. Peter’s shot 38 percent from the floor. In the final twenty minutes they were a red hot 14 of 19 for 73 percent. It was quite a second half as St. Peter’s was down seven and with one of their marquee players (Bacon) with four fouls and 18 minutes to go. They could have folded. They didn’t and earned a victory giving them added momentum as they go move on to Albany for the MAAC tournament.
St. Peter’s finished 8-10 in the MAAC and will face Rider in the quarterfinal on Saturday in Albany. The Peacocks defeated Rider on the road in a one point game on February 13. Manhattan wound up 9-9 in conference play. Manhattan, a four seed, will face Fairfield on Saturday.
Notes
- Former St. Peter’s coach Bob Leckie was on hand. Former players Tommie Best and John Krotulis were also in attendance. Best coaches the high school girls program at nearby Lincoln High School. His club finished as Hudson county runner-up with the title game played at Yanitelli Center.
- The Jaspers have the flair for the dramatic as three of their 12 wins were decided on shots at the buzzer. In their meeting on January 19th, Manhattan prevailed 62-60 over St. Peter’s as Antoine Pearson hit a shot at the buzzer.
- The final play saw the ball inbounded to Nick Leon. The St. Peter’s guard, a good outside shooter and penetrator, made a wise decision by not forcing the ball and reversing it to Jenkins. “He (Leon) actually had someone open underneath but didn’t see him,” Dunne said. “I thought Nick made a great decision (not to force) and found Wesley (Jenkins) all alone.”
