Box Score The Saint Peter's University Peacocks managed to battle back from a 10-point half-time deficit and get within 4 points in the last eight minutes, but could not get any closer, as they fell 58-50 to the Fairfield University Stags.
With the loss, the Peacocks drop to 1-19, 1-8 MAAC, while Fairfield improves to 13-7, 7-2 MAAC.
Aziza May led Saint Peter's with a career-high 23 points; going 8-15 from the field. Kristal Edwards also finished in double-figures for the Peacocks; finishing with 11 points. Edwards added 6 boards and 3 steals.
The Red Foxes entered the first media time out of the half leading the hosts 7-2. Saint Peter's came out of the break on a 9-3 spurt to gain their first lead of the contest in the thirteenth minute of play (11-10 @ 13:39).
The hosts would be outscored by a 19-8 margin in the final seven minutes of play however, to head into the half-time break trailing the Stags 29-19.
Saint Peter's shot 29.6% (8-27) from the floor and 42.9% from three-point range (3-7). The hosts did not take a trip to the free throw line in the stanza.
Aziza May scored 12 points on 5-8 shooting to lead the Peacocks in the stanza.
Fairfield shot 40% from the floor, 50% from long distance and 55.6% from the line in the opening frame. Katie Cizynski led the visitors with 9 points.
May started off the second half connecting on a lay up 17 seconds in, but the Stags scored six straight to establish a fourteen point advantage (35-21), their largest up till that point. The visitors proceeded to extend their lead to as many as 15 (38-23) at 16:27.
Saint Peter's soon stormed to life; establishing a 9-0 tear to get within single digits (38-32) for the first time since the 5:57 mark of the first half. During the spurt, Kristal Edwards netted 5 points, while the Peacock defense managed to force the Stags to miss all 6 field goal attempts and commit 6 turnovers.
Fairfield continued to miss three more baskets, before breaking a six-minute scoring drought on a layup by Cizynski (40-32).
May would score four consecutive points for the hosts in the next minute and a half of play the bring the squad within four (40-36), but an 8-2 Fairfield run reopened a double-digit advantage.
The Peacocks managed to get as close a 6 points with 8 ticks remianing on the clock, but two made free throws by Katelyn Linney iced the victory for Fairfield.
Overall, Saint Peter's shot 33.3% from the field, 41.7% from three-point range and 75% from the line. Fairfield shot 33.3% from the floor, 30% from long distance and 75% from the charity stripe.
The Stags out-rebounded Saint Peter's by a 46-30 margin and committed 21 turnovers to the Peacocks' 16.
Fairfield had three players in double-figures; Katie Cizynski, Brittany Obi-Tabot and Alexys Vazquez. They each recorded 13 points in the win.
Saint Peter's returns to action on Super Bowl Sunday, as they host Marist at 12pm.
