Portley steals show in his debut as Saint Peter's wins opener over Brown

JERSEY CITY, NJ -- John Dunne did not shy away from making it known that he would need to use freshman Antwon Portley at both guard positions this season, clearly stating he would need to contribute as much as possible for a Saint Peter's team replacing both of their leading scorers from the previous season.

After the dust settled on a first impression that fans at the Yanitelli Center will not soon forget, "contribute" is merely an understatement.

Portley filled the void left by the graduation of Desi Washington and then some, scoring 23 of his 30 points in the second half as the Peacocks (1-0) powered past Brown (0-1) by the final of 77-65 for their first season-opening victory since stunning in-state rival Rutgers in 2012.

"It really is a dream come true," said an awestruck Portley, who added 11 points to a 30-9 run over the final 9:12 of regulation to erase a nine-point deficit and turn it into a decisive victory. "I really enjoyed it, not only the scoring part, but playing with the team. We're like a brotherhood out there."

The 30 points for Portley represent the highest total for a debuting freshman in Dunne's ten-year tenure at the helm, and is the most productive outing for a debuting Peacock since Marvin Dominique scored 31 points in his first game in a Saint Peter's uniform, against LIU Brooklyn at Barclays Center in 2013.

Trevis Wyche added 14 points and three steals to support the cause, while Chazz Patterson came within two rebounds of a double-double, tallying eight boards and four assists to go with 12 points. Tavon Blackmon was one of three Brown players in double figures, leading the Bears with 13 while Cedric Kuakumensah recorded 10 points and 17 rebounds.

After falling behind 14-7 in the opening minutes, Brown seized the initiative midway through the first half, ripping off a 19-5 run to take a 26-19 advantage before the two teams traded baskets heading into an intermission where the Bears took a 32-30 lead into the locker room.

Another nip-and-tuck sequence ensued out of the gates to begin the second half, with Saint Peter's holding a short advantage before the Bears countered with an 18-7 spurt to take a 56-47 lead on a pair of Blackmon free throws at the 9:12 mark, setting the stage for the Peacocks' final rally.

"We're not going to worry about the scoreboard," said Dunne when addressing the troops before the Peacocks held Brown to just four field goals during their 30-9 run. "We're going to just focus on the process. Our M.O. all season is going to be 'we're not playing not to lose, we're playing to win.' We're just going to leave it out there, play with confidence and share it, and see what happens."