JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Interstat) — Saint Peter’s used a dominant defensive performance and a balanced scoring attack to pull away from Merrimack in the second half and secure a 76-63 victory in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Sunday at Yanitelli Center.

The Peacocks, who led 38-25 at halftime, maintained a double-digit lead throughout the final period, holding the Warriors to just 38.1% shooting from the field for the game. Saint Peter’s improved to 8-6 overall, while Merrimack fell to 10-8.

The most important part of the game was Saint Peter’s decisive 13-0 run late in the first half that transformed a narrow contest into a commanding lead. With Merrimack trailing 25-22 after a Kevair Kennedy layup with just over six minutes remaining, the Peacocks clamped down defensively. The Warriors missed their next five shots and committed two turnovers over a critical four-minute stretch.

Saint Peter’s capitalized on the other end, with Brent Bland hitting a 3-pointer and Bryce Eaton scoring on a driving layup. The run was capped by another Bland 3-pointer, assisted by Eaton, with 18 seconds left in the half, giving the Peacocks a 38-25 advantage at the break. Merrimack never got the deficit back to single digits in the second half, as Saint Peter’s consistently answered any brief Warrior push.

Bland, a junior guard from Wheatley Heights, New York, led all scorers with 17 points, adding eight rebounds and three assists. His performance marked a return to form after being held to five points in his previous outing. Zaakir Williamson, a 6-foot-7 forward from Philadelphia, provided a massive interior presence for the Peacocks with 14 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots. Lucas Scroggins contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks off the bench.

Merrimack was led by Ernest Shelton’s 18 points and Kevair Kennedy’s 17 points and seven rebounds. Tye Dorset added 14 points for the Warriors, who struggled mightily from beyond the arc, connecting on just 2 of 18 3-point attempts.

Saint Peter’s won despite committing 14 turnovers to Merrimack’s 12, largely by controlling the paint and the glass. The Peacocks out-rebounded the Warriors 40-33, including a 15-11 edge on the offensive boards, and blocked eight shots. Offensively, Saint Peter’s was efficient, shooting 52.1% from the field and posting an offensive rating of 124.1 points per 100 possessions.

The Warriors, who entered the game with a 61.7% win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system, could not sustain the momentum from their recent three-game conference winning streak. Their offensive rating of 100.0 on 63 possessions underscored their struggles against the Peacocks’ defense.

Saint Peter’s next travels to face Quinnipiac on Wednesday. Merrimack returns home to host Quinnipiac on Saturday. The two teams will meet again in North Andover, Massachusetts, on Jan. 24.

The game drew an announced crowd of 450 to the Yanitelli Center. The combined point total of 139 fell well under the sportsbook over/under line of 130.5.