Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Yale defeated Saint Peter's 53-45 in a non-conference women's basketball contest on Tuesday evening.
Antonia Smith (Bronx, N.Y. / Dwight School) paced the Peacocks (1-14) with 13 points and seven rebounds. Alyssa Velles (Franklin, Conn. / Norwich Free Academy) tallied 10 points while Talah Hughes (Beacon, N.Y. / Beacon) recorded a game-high eight rebounds in the loss.
Tamara Simpson paced the Bulldogs (6-8) with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Whitney Wyckoff finished with 14 points and six rebounds while Katie Werner and Nyasha Sarju chipped in with 10 points apiece in the win.
Yale used strong free throw shooting in the final moments of the second half to hold on for the win in the non-conference finale for both teams.
With the game tied at 38 with 9:46 remaining in the game, the Bulldogs used a 6-0 run to take the lead for good. Saint Peter's cut into the deficit with a pair of free throws from Sajanna Bethea (Levittown, Pa. / Pennsbury) and Smith to trail by a field goal.
In the final 2:34 of the stanza, Yale outscored the Peacocks 9-3, going 7-of-10 from the charity stripe for the victory.
Both teams exchanged baskets in the early going of the first half. Following a 3-pointer from Sarju at 12:32, the Peacocks went on a 6-2 spurt to take an 18-11 lead.
The Bulldogs got back into the game with a 15-0 run that spanned over five minutes to take a 26-18 lead. Saint Peter's stopped the drought with a layup from Smith and a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Bridget Whitfield (San Diego, Calif. / La Costa Canyon) to trail 26-23 going into the locker room.
Trailing 30-25 in the second half, Saint Peter's went on a 7-0 run, fueled by Smith and Velles, to take the lead with 13:50 left on the clock. Yale tied the game at 32 with a layup from Simpson before exchanging baskets over the next few possessions to knot the game again at 38.
Whitfield finished with five points and two rebounds, while Rebecca Sparks (Teaneck, N.J. / Teaneck [Saint Francis]) collected three assists.
Hala Mostafa (Cairo, Egypt / Modern Narmer Language School) recorded two blocks in the game, moving her ahead of Elyse Siciliano (2003-07) for eighth all-time in blocked shots (88).
Saint Peter's returns to action on Jan. 18, when the team resumes MAAC play with a rematch against Canisius. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.
