JERSEY CITY, NJ – Bryce Eaton scored 22 points to pace Saint Peter's past Siena Basketball 70-65 in a physical showdown between two of the top Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contenders at Run Baby Run Arena.
 
Brett Bland tallied 11 points for upstart Saint Peter's (14-8, 11-3), which clinched a MAAC Tournament berth despite being picked 11^th in the preseason poll, and being just a season removed from missing postseason play altogether. Zaakir Williamson added 10 points for the Peacocks which held a 37-24 rebounding advantage, while improving to 11-1 in Jersey City including a perfect 8-0 in conference play.
 
Gavin Doty battled through foul trouble to score 17 of his 19 points in the second half for Siena (17-8, 10-4) in a bruising battle in which the teams were whistled for 44 combined fouls yielding 57 free throws. The Saints, which entered play ranked fifth nationally in fewest fouls committed (13.5), were called for an uncharacteristic season-high 24 infractions leading to 36 Saint Peter's free throws.
 
In a pivotal matchup featuring the two teams tied for second place in the MAAC Standings entering the day, both sides started out hot offensively. Each squad shot 50% or better in the first half, but the Peacocks scored the final 11 points of the stanza to take a 36-28 lead at the break.
 
While both offenses were on display in the first half, it was the defenses which took center stage in an increasingly physical second half in which both teams shot just 36%. Saint Peter's temporarily opened as much as a double-digit advantage at 50-39 with 13:05 remaining before Siena punched back.
 
Doty and Francis Folefac combined to score nine unanswered over 2:30 to rally back within two at 50-48 with 9:54 left. The Saints had some chances late, but could never get any closer. Meanwhile, the Peacocks scored a methodical six straight down the stretch to push the lead back to nine in the final minute, as the home team prevailed for the 22^nd time in the past 26 meetings in the series.
 
Folefac finished with 16 points and a career-high seven assists for Siena which saw both its six-game overall and five-game road win streaks snapped. Antonio Chandler chipped in 12 points on 5-6 shooting for the Saints which also suffered their first loss in 10 daytime starts.
 
Despite the setback, Siena clinched a postseason berth a month before the start of the MAAC Tournament. The top-10 finishers in the 13-team MAAC will advance to Atlantic City in March.
 
The Saints return to the Capital Region for their second and final home contest during a grueling seven-game stretch when they host MAAC preseason favorite Quinnipiac in the only scheduled regular season meeting between the teams Friday at 7 p.m. at MVP Arena.