The Saint Peter's College women's basketball team dropped a 62-50 decision Friday night to the Siena Saints. The Peahens led by three with just over three minutes remaining in the first half, but a buzzer-beating three by the Saint's Maja Gerlyng gave the hosts a four-point half-time lead they would never relinquish. Teresa Manigrasso led the Peahens with 11 points, while Quiana Porter added 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and a career-high 6 blocks. With the loss, Saint Peter's falls to 2-17, 2-6 MAAC, while Siena improves to 6-12, 4-5 MAAC.
The Peahens jumped out of the gate early on, scoring just twenty seconds into the game, as Quiana Porter found Lovisa Hagberg under the basket for an easy layup. Saint Peter's managed to hold onto a one-point lead at 5-4, heading into the first under-sixteen media time out.
The Saints quickly responded with a 7-2 run, to enter the second official time-out of the half with an 11-7 advantage. Saint Peter's was kept scoreless for almost six minutes, until Aziza May went 2-2 from the line to bring the visitors within two at 11-9.
A trey from Teresa Manigrasso kept the Peahens in striking distance at 13-12, but the Saints responded with a two-pointer by Cristina Centeno to go ahead 15-12 at 6:37.
SPC would take a lead at 3:43 (18-17) on a Quiana Porter layup, forcing Saints Head Coach Gina Castelli to call a thirty-second timeout. On the following Peahen possession, Manigrasso extended the lead to 20-17, with a two-point field goal. The sophomore guard accounted for 7 of the Peahens' points during their comeback.
Saint Peter's lead proved to be short-lived, as the Saint's connected on back-to-back threes by Centeno and Maja Gerlyng. SPC managed to tie the game at 24-24, but the hosts ended the frame on a buzzer-beating three-ball by Gerlyng to go into the half-time break ahead 28-24.
Saint Peter's shot 30.8% from the floor and 33.3% from long distance, while the Saints shot 45.8% and 75.0%, respectively. Three of Siena's four treys came from Maja Gerlyng.
For the half, Siena's Cristina Centeno led all scorers with 11 points, while Teresa Manigrasso led the Peahens with 7 points in just 9 minutes of action.
Gerlyng remained hot beyond the arc following the intermission, draining a trey less than a minute into the second frame and putting the hosts ahead 31-24. The Peahens failed to score their first basket till over three-minutes into the half, following Kristal Edwards drive in the paint and layup (31-26).
Gerlyng continued to pace the Saints, scoring six points, en route to a 13 point lead at 39-26, that was the result of a 11-4 spurt dating back to her three to began the stanza. Saint Peter's failed to get within single digits for the remainder of the contest, with Siena establishing their biggest lead of the game at the 5:23 minute mark, 57-38 (19 points).
The Peahens finished with a 31.4% field goal percentage, to the Saints' 42.9%. SPC also shot just 16.7% beyond the arc, while Siena shot 41.7%. Saint Peter's out-rebounded Siena by a 33-28 margin, and committed 19 turnovers to the Saints' 17.
Teresa Manigrasso led the Peahens in scoring with 11 points and added 3 assists. Quiana Porter finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists 3 steals and 6 blocks, while Kristal Edwards added 8 points. Aziza May contributed 7 points and Lauren Morris had 6 points, 4 rebounds.
The Saints were led by Cristina Centeno who had a game-high 20 points and added 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals. Maja Gerlyng finished with 19 points.
Saint Peter's returns to action on Sunday, January 29th, as they host the Manhattan Jaspers for a 2pm tipoff.
