JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Marist men's basketball saw a first-half road lead slip away in a 69-59 loss to Saint Peter's on Friday night at the Yanitelli Center, as the Red Foxes fell to 8-5 on the season and 2-2 in the MAAC.
The Red Foxes carried a 38-35 advantage into halftime after an efficient opening 20 minutes but were held to 21 points in the second half as the Peacocks used a strong rebounding edge and second-chance scoring to pull away.
Elijah Lewis led Marist with 13 points, adding seven rebounds, while
Rhyjon Blackwell also scored 13 points, going a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line.
Tarik Watson finished with 11 points and four rebounds off the bench as Marist totaled 34 bench points on the night.
Marist shot 38.5 percent from the field in the first half and 16-of-18 from the foul line to build its early cushion, leading by as many as nine late in the period. The Red Foxes forced Saint Peter's into seven first-half turnovers and converted those opportunities into transition offense to maintain control before the break.
Saint Peter's responded after halftime with sustained pressure on the glass, finishing with an 18-7 advantage in second-chance points and a 43-35 edge in total rebounds. The Peacocks opened the second half on a 10-2 run and would not trail again, pushing their lead to as many as 14 midway through the period.
Despite shooting 87 percent from the free throw line for the game, Marist struggled from the field in the second half, shooting 27.6 percent and just 1-for-9 from three-point range over the final 20 minutes as Saint Peter's pulled away with the 10-point victory.
The Red Foxes will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 4, when Marist plays host to MAAC foe Iona inside McCann Arena at 2 p.m.
