Box Score BUFFALO, N.Y. – Canisius defeated Saint Peter's 75-50 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women's basketball contest on Sunday afternoon.
Alyssa Velles (Franklin, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) paced the Peacocks (0-6, 0-2 MAAC) with eight points. Antonia Smith (Bronx, N.Y./Dwight School) finished with seven points and four assists while Hala Mostafa (Cairo, Egypt/Modern Narmer Language School) tallied a career-high nine rebounds in the loss.
Tiahana Mills and Kayla Hoohuli paced the Golden Griffs (3-3, 2-0 MAAC) with 14 points apiece. Crystal Porter and Jasmine Mungo both finished in double-figures in the victory.
Canisius used an opening second half run to pull away and take the first of two meetings against Saint Peter's this season.
Saint Peter's opened up the game with a 5-0 run, fueled by a layup from Sajanna Bethea (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) at 19:52 and a 3-pointer from Velles at 19:11. The Golden Griffs responded to the run with 12 unanswered points to lead 12-5 with 15:03 left in the half.
The Peacocks snapped the surge with a basket from Samantha Meier (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) at 14:28. Following a block from Mostafa, Marcia Senatus (Roselle, N.J./Trenton Catholic) drilled a jumper from long distance to cut into the deficit and trail 12-9. Canisius countered with a 3-ball from Hoohuli at 13:38 and a free throw from Mungo at 12:39 to extend its lead, 16-9.
Following a Canisius turnover, Smith hit a 3-point basket to cut into the margin. Back-to-back buckets from the Golden Griffs at 11:22 and 10:30 gave Canisius a 20-12 advantage. Saint Peter's responded, going on a 6-0 run to knot the contest at 20 with 5:09 remaining in the half.
The Peacocks took the lead at the 2:51 mark following an unassisted layup from Bridget Whitfield (San Diego, Calif./La Costa Canyon). Canisius countered with six unanswered points to hold a 28-22 edge. Following a basket from Neechelle Ingram (Pocono Summit, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) with under a minute left in the half, the Golden Griffs countered with a field goal to take a 30-24 lead into halftime.
Canisius opened up the second half with a basket from Porter at 19:23 to take a 32-24 lead. The Peacocks countered with a trey from Whitfield to trim the margin. The Golden Griffs responded with a 14-5 run, capped off by a layup from Tamara Miskovic at 13:52 to take a 46-29 lead.
Saint Peter's sliced into the deficit with five unanswered points, powered by a traditional 3-point play from Smith at the 12:25 mark. Following a made free throw from Canisius, the Peacocks used a 6-0 run to trim the margin to single digits and trail 47-40.
Canisius used a 28-10 run over the final 11:35 of the game to win 75-50 and earn its second conference victory of the season.
Bethea and Senatus both finished with six points apiece. Rebecca Sparks (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck [Saint Francis]) and Whitfield tallied five points each in the contest.
Saint Peter's returns to action on Dec. 10, when the team returns to the Yanitelli Center for a weekday matchup against Fairleigh Dickinson. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
