Box Score LEWISTON, N.Y. – Niagara defeated Saint Peter's 73-40 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women's basketball contest on Friday night.
Antonia Smith (Bronx, N.Y./Dwight School) paced the Peacocks (0-5, 0-1 MAAC) with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting. Alyssa Velles (Franklin, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) and Neechelle Ingram (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) each finished with eight points in the loss.
Sylvia Maxwell paced Niagara (3-3, 1-0 MAAC) with a game-high 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Meghan McGuiness also finished in double-figures with 11 points in the win.
Niagara used strong 3-point shooting and runs to start the first and second halves to win the conference opener for both teams.
Niagara opened up the first half with a 16-7 run. The run was powered by five points from Maxwell and capped off by a jumper from Val McQuade at the 7:59 mark.
The Peacocks cut into the deficit with a 3-pointer from Velles at 7:38. Following a basket from Niagara, Saint Peter's used a 5-0 run to trim the margin and trail 19-14 with 6:14 left in the half.
After another basket from Maxwell, Sajanna Bethea (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) countered with three straight points to cut the deficit to four with 3:25 on the clock. The Purple Eagles responded with back-to-back baskets to extend their lead 25-17. Following a layup from Ingram to slice into the margin Niagara ended the half on a 5-1 to take a 30-21-advantage heading into the locker room.
The Purple Eagles began the second half on a 22-2 run, capped off by nine straight points from Victoria Rampado to lead 52-23 with 12:34 remaining in regulation.
Saint Peter's cut into the deficit with five unanswered points to trail 52-28. Niagara countered with a 13-2 run, powered by its 3-point shooting, to lead 65-30 with 5:20 left on the clock.
Following a 3-pointer from Teresa Corchado (Willingboro, N.J./Camden Catholic), the Purple Eagles countered with three straight baskets to extend their lead en route to the 73-40 victory.
Kylie Garrett (Mt. Orab, Ohio/Western Brown) scored her first points of the season with a 3-point basket, while Marcia Senatus (Roselle, N.J./Trenton Catholic) tallied a team-high three assists.
The Peacocks return to action on Sunday (Dec. 7), when the team concludes its weekend road trip with a matchup against Canisius. Opening tip is slated for 2 p.m.
