JERSEY CITY, New Jersey – Hakim Byrd hit the game-winning free throw with 1.9 seconds left as the Marist men's basketball team defeated Saint Peter's, 51-50, in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game on Saturday night.
 

Summary

• Marist scored the game's first nine points as the Red Foxes held the Peacocks scoreless for the first 5:43.
• The Red Foxes extended their lead to 15-4 as they held the Peacocks scoreless for a span of 5:52.
• Raheim Sullivan's buzzer-beating three-pointer gave Marist a 25-16 lead going to the locker room.
• The Red Foxes led by at least three for the first 15 minutes of the second half. With 3:22 to play, Doug Edert's three-pointer brought Saint Peter's to within two. Fousseyni Drame's two free throws 59 seconds later tied the score at 46.
• Ricardo Wright's two free throws with 2:06 left put Marist back up by two, but KC Ndefo tied the game at the 1:25 mark.
• Hakim Byrd's driving layup gave Marist a 50-48 advantage with 16.3 seconds remaining, but Ndefo's dunk tied the score seven seconds later.
• With 1.9 seconds remaining, Byrd was fouled. He hit the first of his two free throws to provide the decisive margin.

 

Key Stats

• Marist never trailed in the contest. The Red Foxes led for 38:01.
• Jordan Jones led Marist with 15 points. He added six rebounds and a blocked shot.
• Javon Cooley added 10 points, which included a 7-for-8 performance from the free-throw line.
• Wright had a team-high eight rebounds.
• Ndefo finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and a blocked shot.
• Drame had a game-high nine rebounds.
• Marist .364 (16-for-44) from the field, but held Saint Peter's to a .340 (16-for-47) mark.

 

Notes

• The 16 points allowed by Marist in the first half were the fewest allowed by the Red Foxes in the first 20 minutes this season.
• Jones has now blocked a shot in 15 straight games.
• Wright's eight rebounds were a career high.
• Marist is now 7-2 in games decided by five points or less.
• Marist has now held nine opponents under 40 percent from the field this season, including four of its last five.
• This was Marist's first victory at Saint Peter's since 2012.

 

From Coach Dunne

"You don't want to have too many moral victories, but even if we had fallen short tonight I would have been equally as proud," head coach John Dunne said. "Obviously, I'm a lot happier to get the win, but I thought our spirit this weekend, through adversity and through our injuries, is really a big positive for us."
 

Records

• Marist is now 10-8 overall and 8-8 in the MAAC.
• Saint Peter's stands at 11-8 overall and 8-6 in conference.

 

Up Next

• Marist returns home for three games next week.
• The Red Foxes will next host Iona on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. Marist will the host Quinnipiac on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.