STF Road Trip: St. Peter's Peacocks

By Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, NJ - Friday night in Jersey City is a big basketball evening. As much as half a dozen high schools have games going on. But on this last Friday evening in January the focus is on St.Peter’s hosting Niagara in a MAAC matchup. The homestanding Peacocks used to call the Jersey City Armory, about two blocks east, home. They actually hosted Rutgers there earlier in the year and won. Since 1975, Yanitelli Center on campus has been the home for the ‘Jesuit College of New Jersey’.



For years St.Peter’s has made a living finding the diamond in the rough, under-recruited and late bloomer. The walls of Yanitelli showcase NIT, NCAA and MAAC success for the men’s and women’s teams. John Dunne, in his second year, is working hard in that finding those good, hard nosed players St.Peter’s has attracted for decades.



Tonight, though the Peacocks have their hands full. Charron Fisher, the third leading scorer in the nation, drops in 29 while running mate Tyrone Lewis adds 25, including several threes late the first half that break it open. Still, the 79-59 score is not indicative of the intensity victorious Niagara faced. “It was a war, very physical,” said Niagara mentor Joe Mihalich. “He (Dunne) has them playing hard every night out.”