FDU overcomes Saint Peter’s in raucous home environment

FDU hosted Saint Peter’s in near-sellout Wednesday. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

HACKENSACK, N.J. — Before a near-capacity crowd of 1,852 at the Rothman Center, FDU pulled out a 71-70 victory over Saint Peter’s Wednesday. 

In a contest billed as a battle of the bracket busters, the host Knights led for all but 44 seconds, yet still needed heroics by DeVante Jamison in the final seconds to secure the victory. FDU is now 3-1 on the season, while Saint Peter’s dropped to 1-2. The points of emphasis:

First five minutes: FDU led at the first media timeout, 5-3, but both teams were getting established. Defensively, the Knights played man-to-man in the half-court, showed some full-court pressure, half-court traps, and a few possessions of zone as head coach Jack Castleberry wanted to keep Saint Peter’s off balance on the offensive end.

Separation: The two teams stayed close for the better part of the first half. With 63 seconds to play, Ansley Almonor of FDU hit a three and was fouled. He hit the free throw and following a defensive stop, canned another trey to give Castleberry’s Knights a nine-point halftime lead, at 43-34. FDU would then open the second stanza on a 9-3 run, extending its lead to 15.

Pressure was disruptive: Using full-court pressure, you would like to force a turnover. That doesn’t happen each time, but the pressure can speed an opponent up, often forcing them into rushed shots and keeping their offense out of rhythm.

“I thought our pressure worked in spurts,” Castleberry said. “They’re a MAAC team with big physical guards. Having our pressure bother them says a lot about us.”

Saint Peter’s would not go away: A corner three by Marcus Randolph made it a two-possession game with just over two-and-a-half minutes remaining, signaling an ending in which outcome would go down to the wire. FDU held a two-point lead until Michael Houge of Saint Peter’s drilled a three with eight seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Jamison was fouled going to the basket. The fifth-year senior made both free throws with 2.3 seconds remaining. The last possession saw Saint Peter’s get off a desperation attempt just inside halfcourt, but it was far off the mark.

“I thought Coach Mason ran some great stuff,” Castleberry said. “He did a great job of putting his players in the right spots. The first half went our way, the second half not as much. In the course of a season, you’ll win ugly at times. Tonight, it felt as if the clock was going so slow those last few minutes.”

Peacock physicality: Saint Peter’s won the battle of the boards in convincing fashion by a 41-30 count, holding a 16-6 edge on the offensive glass. For Bashir Mason’s team, the inability to convert a number of close-range putbacks cost the Peacocks a valuable advantage in second chance points that would have decided the game.

The atmosphere was electric: “I’ve seen many environments, and there are not many better than this to play in,” Castleberry said. “Our fans packed this place and made a difference. We’re exciting and a fun team to watch, and I think our fans enjoy that.” 

The coach was also appreciative of the FDU teams that came out to support the Knights. “We had the soccer, baseball and lacrosse teams here,” he said. “That’s what makes FDU special because our players go to their games as well.”

Notes: The two teams had a common opponent entering this game. A week ago on opening night, Saint Peter’s dropped a 70-59 decision to Seton Hall at the Prudential Center. This past Saturday, Seton Hall defeated FDU by an 85-55 count at Walsh Gymnasium on the Seton Hall campus. There was another common opponent of note, Purdue. Saint Peter’s, a No. 15 seed, defeated the Boilermakers in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Last March, FDU stunned the top-seeded representatives of the Big Ten in the NCAA opening round for just the second victory by a No. 16 seed in tournament history.

Saint Peter’s led 37-10 in points off the bench. That difference was due to its two top scorers on the night coming off the bench. Junior Michael Houge led with 19. Marcus Randolph, another junior, added 18.

Saint Peter’s hosts UMass Lowell on Monday. This Saturday, FDU will face Penn State-Schuykill at the Rothman Center.