Saint Peter's hand Manhattan College their first conference loss

It was a battle in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference as the Saint Peter's Peacocks beat the Manhattan Jaspers, 67-57, in their first of two matchups this season on Friday at Run Baby Run Arena.

The Peacocks (7-6) have had Manhattan's (4-8) number in wins with a 10-3 record against them since 2016. However, the Jaspers have been undefeated in two games of conference play this season compared to Saint Peter's one win out of their three conference matchups.

The first ten minutes of play were back and forth, with four quick lead changes and aggressive defense being fully displayed. Both teams struggled shooting from the field as they each shot under 40 percent.

Saint Peter's started to break away with the lead, going on a 9-2 run in just over three minutes. Fifth-year senior guard Isiah Dasher played a crucial part in this run as he drained a three-pointer to get it started and nailed a step-back midrange jumper. Manhattan's senior guard Ant Nelson hit a pull-up jumper to try and slow the Peacocks' pace down.

The Peacocks seemed to have an answer to each of Manhattan's buckets, as senior guard Alex Rivera responded with a three-pointer of his own in the next possession. The Jaspers and Peacocks would again go back and forth in scoring. Saint Peter's slowly extended and opened up their lead with three-point shooting, where they shot 41 percent from beyond the arc in the first half.

Freshman forward Thomas Tut finished the first half with a buzzer-beating hook shot to extend the Peacocks' lead to 12, as Saint Peter's went into the second half leading 34-22.

The Peacocks converted on eight three-pointers while only making 12 out of 33 total shots in the first half. Manhattan only made seven total shots in the first, converting on only one three-pointer.

Coming into the last half of play, the Peacocks picked up right where they left off and went on an 8-0 run within the first four minutes of the second, putting them up by 20 points. Freshman forward Corey Washington took control during this run, scoring the first six points for Saint Peter's with a quick dunk and two layups.

Saint Peter's continued their onslaught with more three-point shooting and getting into the paint converting on high-percentage shots, a much-needed improvement compared to their field goal percentage in the first half of play.

With 6:24 left in the game, the Jaspers started a 9-0 run that lasted just under two and a half minutes cutting the Peacocks' lead down to 11. Manhattan could still not bring their deficit to under 10 points at any point in the second half.

Saint Peter's maintained their lead after the run and handed the Jaspers their first loss in conference play this season. Isiah Dasher and Corey Washington led the Peacocks in scoring with 12 points each.

Much of Washington's production came from the offensive and defensive end in the second half. He also appeared throughout the stat sheet collecting eight rebounds, blocking two shots, getting a steal, and dishing the ball for an assist.

Saint Peter's now faces a challenge on New Year's Day as they travel to the MAAC's first-place Iona Gaels at 4 p.m. in the Hynes Athletics Center.