Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Rebecca Sparks (Teaneck, N.J. / Teaneck [Saint Francis]) hit three free throws in the final 1:48 to lift Saint Peter's past Rider 50-49 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) women's basketball contest on Friday afternoon.
Trailing 45-34 with 10:12 left in the game, the Peacocks (1-10, 1-2 MAAC) rallied back with a 13-2 run to knot the game at 47. Following a basket from the Broncs to take the lead, Sparks drove to the basket and drew contact for the foul call. After making the first free throw, Sparks missed the second but Talah Hughes (Beacon, N.Y. / Beacon) was able to grab the offensive board to maintain possession. Sparks returned to the charity stripe after another foul call, where she made both attempts to give the Peacocks the lead and ultimately the victory.
Hughes paced the Peacocks with a career-high 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting. She also collected seven rebounds. Sparks finished with 10 points, six assists and three steals. Alyssa Velles (Franklin, Conn. / Norwich Free Academy) recorded eight points and six rebounds in the winning effort.
Robin Perkins paced the Broncs (3-10, 0-3 MAAC) with 13 points. Julia Duggan finished with 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds in the loss.
The first half was a seesaw battle, with both teams exchanging baskets throughout. Following a layup from Velles to tie the game at 22, Rider used a 7-0 run to take a 29-22 advantage. The Peacocks answered the Rider run, finishing the first half on a 7-2 run, capped off by a layup from Hala Mostafa (Cairo, Egypt / Modern Narmer Language School) with 48 seconds left, to only trail 31-29 heading into the half.
In the second, it looked like Rider was going to runaway with the victory, beginning the half on a 14-5 run to hold a 45-34 lead. Saint Peter's 13-2 run to knot the game at 47 was fueled by eight points from the freshman trio of Hughes, Velles and Sajanna Bethea (Levittown, Pa. / Pennsbury). After regaining the lead, Rider had an opportunity for the game-winning basket, but missed the shot to give the Peacocks their first win of the season.
Bethea finished with seven points, three rebounds and two steals. Whitfield, Mostafa and Antonia Smith (Bronx, N.Y. / Dwight School) all scored four points each.
Coming into the game as a 57.7 percent free throw shooting team, Saint Peter's finished 14-of-19 from the charity stripe for its best free throw performance of the season.
Today's win snaps a five-game losing streak against the Broncs and is the team's first win since January of last season.
Saint Peter's returns to action on Jan. 4, when the team plays host to Siena in part one of a doubleheader. Tip-off is slated for 12 p.m.
