Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Fairfield defeated Saint Peter's 57-47 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) women's basketball matchup on Tuesday night.
Rebecca Sparks (Teaneck, N.J. / Teaneck [Saint Francis]) paced the Peacocks (1-16, 1-7 MAAC) with 11 points, four assists and three rebounds. Sajanna Bethea (Levittown, Pa. / Pennsbury) finished with 10 points and seven rebounds while Talah Hughes (Beacon, N.Y. / Beacon) collected seven points and eight rebounds.
Casey Smith led the way for Fairfield (6-11, 5-3 MAAC) with 18 points, six rebounds and three steals. Samantha Cooper, Kristine Miller and Kristin Schatzlein each chipped in with 10 points in the victory.
The Stags outscored the Peacocks 22-9 in the final 11 minutes of the second half to pull away for the victory and earn the season sweep.
Trailing 38-35 with 11:27 remaining, Fairfield used an 8-0 run to take the lead and not look back. The Peacocks stopped the run with a layup from Bethea at 6:43 to cut the lead. Fairfield countered with six straight points from Cooper to extend its advantage.
Saint Peter's trimmed the margin with a traditional 3-point play from Hughes to bring the Peacocks within six with 4:41 to go. Following a free throw from Fairfield to take a 50-43 lead, the Peacocks hung around with four straight points from Antonia Smith (Bronx, N.Y. / Dwight School) to keep the game close with 2:38 left on the clock. Fairfield closed out the game with six unanswered points, all scored by Miller, to earn the 57-47 decision.
The Peacocks opened the contest with a 15-3 lead. Fairfield took a 3-0 edge to begin the first half before Saint Peter's went on to score 15 straight points. The run was powered by Sparks, who scored nine points and assisted on two field goals.
Fairfield got back into the game, going on a 20-6 run over an 11-minute stretch to regain the lead. The two teams went back and forth in the final 1:46 of the half before a field goal from Kelsey Carey gave the Stags a 27-26 lead going into halftime.
The teams exchanged baskets to begin the second half, with Fairfield holding a 33-30 advantage. The Peacocks took the lead at 14:41, following back-to-back field goals from Bridget Whitfield (San Diego, Calif. / La Costa Canyon) and Bethea to take a 34-33 edge. Following a layup from the Stags, Saint Peter's answered with consecutive baskets to take a 38-35 advantage.
Smith finished with nine points, while Alyssa Velles (Franklin, Conn. / Norwich Free Academy) recorded four points and five rebounds. Whitfield collected four points and two rebounds in the loss.
The Peacocks return to action on Jan. 24, when the team travels to Poughkeepsie to take on Marist. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m.
