Box Score After relinquishing a first-half lead following a Lehigh trey at the buzzer, the Saint Peter's women's basketball team was able to battle back on multiple occasions, but still fell 62-60 to the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks. Two three pointers from Khadijah Young and Kristal Edwards in the last eleven seconds of the contest kept the Peacocks within striking distance, but time would expire before the hosts could complete the come-back. Saint Peter's now falls to 0-2, while Lehigh picks up their first win of the year (1-1).
With the loss, the Peacocks drop to 0-3 in the all-time series against Lehigh.
Kristal Edwards led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game (15), while two other Peacocks also finished with double-digit points. Edwards added 6 caroms, 3 assists and a game-high 6 steals. Kaydine Bent managed 14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks on the night, while Khadijah Young contributed 13 points to tie her career-high.
Edwards led the Peacocks to an early 6-0 lead, coming up with two steals that led to breakaway lay-ups in the first four minutes of the game. The shutout lead would be short-lived however, as Kelly Peterson drained a long trey from the right wing to split the hosts' lead in half.
Lehigh threatened to come back, cutting the Peacock lead to 1 seven minutes into the half (8-7), but Lovisa Hagberg connected off the assist from Khadijah Young to put Saint Peter's in front 11-7. Freshman guard Bridget Whitfield reestablished a six-point advantage by way of a three-point field goal at the eleven-minute mark of the half.
For the second time in the frame, the Mountain Hawks chipped away at a six-point Peacock advantage, but again the three-ball bailed out DeWolfe's squad, this time by Antonia Smith, to regain a five-point cushion, 18-13 (8:43).
The visitors had the opportunity to get close after back-to-back turnovers by the Peacocks, but they were unable to convert on the miscues.
A missed lay-up by the Mountain Hawks in the final 25 seconds gave the Peacocks the opportunity to hold for the last shot and head into the break with a three-point lead, but Kristal Edwards missed a three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining. Lehigh's Sarah Williams would grab the board and proceeded to drain a trey at the buzzer to send the game into the half-time break tied at 28.
Saint Peter's shot 42.9% from the floor and 44.4% from three-point range in the half. Each player that saw the court for Saint Peter's in the stanza, with the exception of one, recorded at least one point. Edwards recorded a team high 7 points in the opening half, while Kaydine Bent was right behind her with 6.
Lehigh attained their first lead of the game 57 seconds into the second half, as Kerry Kinek sank 1-2 free throws. They extended their lead to five following a lay-up by Becky Guman to force Head Coach Stephanie DeWolfe to call a timeout.
Kaydine Bent made it a one-point game, grabbing the rebound of her own missed jumper and laying in a basket at 16:11. The hosts regained the lead at the after two made free throws by Kristal Edward (15:47).
Saint Peter's maintained the advantage until midway through the half when Elizabeth Sharlow sank a layup off the right block (40-38). The Mountain Hawks made it a four-point game, as they came up with a steal on a turnover by Khadijah Young and scored on a fast-break lay-up.
Lehigh maintained a five-point advantage but back-to-back buckets by Young cut the hosts' deficit to just one 45-44 at 7:20. The visitors went up again by four, until sophomore forward Lovisa Hagberg went 2-2 from the charity stripe to get within two (53-51) with 3:16 to go in the stanza.
That Mountain Hawks led by as many as six markers with 19 seconds remaining, but Young came through in the clutch with a long three following a Lehigh timeout to make it a one-possession game (60-57) with 11 seconds left.
Lindsay Hoskins sank two free throws with 8 seconds to go, but Edwards banked in a long three from NBA range to make the score 62-60 with 3 seconds remaining. Time would expire to conclude the match before Saint Peter's could regain possession.
Overall, Saint Peter's shot 40.8% from the field, 35.3% beyond the arc, while Lehigh shot 34.4% and 12.5%, respectively.
The hosts committed 30 turnovers to the visitors 27 and were out-rebounded by a 43-32 margin.
Almost a third of Lehigh's points came off of Saint Peter's turnovers (25).
Both Lovisa Hagberg and Antonia Smith finished with 7 points in the loss.
Saint Peter's hits the road for Annapolis, Maryland this weekend for an 8pm game against Navy this Saturday.
