St. Peter’s Scores Big Win in Battle of New Jersey
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Back in July, John Dunne had a feeling this could be a long season. His team at St. Peter’s has nine freshmen and sophomores, so there’s plenty of youth, and the Peacocks were fresh off a 5-25 campaign.
Such a season could still result, but Dunne has to be feeling a little more optimistic after his team pulled off a 65-58 win over Rutgers on Sunday in a game that was all about New Jersey basketball and had the feeling of a neighborhood battle.
One could spend a few hours drawing connections between the two teams as well as the game setting. It was the first game played in the Jersey City Armory, located just a few blocks from the campus of St. Peter’s, since 1975. Several of the players had previously played there, as among other things it is home to games at the highly competitive Hamilton Park Summer League. But that’s just the beginning.
A few items of note:
- Jersey City is home to high school powerhouse St. Anthony’s. Current Friar guard Mike Rosario, who was in attendance on Sunday, signed with Rutgers.
- A number of the players in this game, like Rosario, played for the Playaz Basketball Club in high school. Playaz program director Jimmy Salmon was among those in attendance on Sunday.
- St. Peter’s assistant Kyle Anderson had a long career with the Playaz before joining the staff last year.
- St. Peter’s freshman guard Wesley Jenkins and Rutgers junior guard Courtney Nelson both played high school ball at Bloomfield Tech.
Suffice it to say, the building had the feeling of a family affair. The end result could provide a boost for the underdog that goes beyond this game.
“It’s big for our program,” said Dunne. “It’s big for our players, especially the three seniors and the two other returning guys. To go through the season we went through last year, and for them to stay loyal to the program and work hard in the spring and summer and come back. It’s just a great win for us, and hopefully we have no letdowns because we have another game on Wednesday.”
Dunne knows that the Peacocks could just as easily take this win and feel like they can now win games just by showing up. That’s why his optimism is cautious at this point. The hope is that what they take out of this game is that they can beat any given opponent if they come to play.
“You tell them to be confident, because there are upsets all over,” said Dunne. “You’ve just got to believe that you can make it happen.”
Jenkins had a breakout game to lead St. Peter’s, scoring a career-high 26 points on 6-7 shooting from long range. A senior, Todd Sowell, made his share of clutch plays as well in amassing a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Jenkins is one of three freshmen who start for the Peacocks. Nick Leon starts alongside him in the backcourt, and Ryan Bacon starts at a forward spot. Darrell Lampley also sees time off the bench, as does John Hogga. That’s five freshmen who play significant minutes, evidence of the youth on the team.
Young though they are, the Peacocks won the game the way they will have to win games all season. They just kept playing, capitalized on opportunities, and made key plays down the stretch much like the way a veteran team does. They withstood runs by the Scarlet Knights at various points during the game, times where it looked like Rutgers might be a play or two away from breaking the game open. The young players were certainly part of that.
“I think Lampley and Nick Leon, who didn’t have their best games, stayed mentally tough and kept scratching and fighting,” said Dunne. “I think those two guys can step up and play better.”
Rutgers head coach Fred Hill, who had no problem playing this game, saw this as well.
“They were hungry, I thought that they rebounded the ball extremely well, especially on the offensive end, and I thought they were very scrappy,” said Hill.
The Peacocks not only got their first win over a Big East team in about 12 years, but they also got what should be a confidence booster. They aren’t likely to be contenders in the MAAC this season, but what they showed in getting this win is reason to believe that this team will grow during the season no matter what the final win-loss numbers look like. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they won a few more games they probably shouldn’t before the season is over.
Sunday’s win is also a sign that Dunne has recruited some players who are capable of moving the program forward in the next few years. It may also be a sign that the veterans Dunne alluded to have been able to get their work ethic and dedication to rub off on the young players. In short, it is potentially as big for the program as Dunne described, and not just in the win-loss column.
