Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Monmouth defeated Saint Peter's 67-52 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women's basketball contest on Thursday.
Antonia Smith (Bronx, N.Y. / Dwight School) paced Saint Peter's (2-19, 2-10 MAAC) with a season-high 15 points, while Hala Mostafa (Cairo, Egypt / Modern Narmer Language School) tallied 12 points and eight rebounds.
Helena Kurt fueled Monmouth (9-13, 5-8 MAAC) with 16 points and five assists. Sarah Olson finished with 13 points, while Jasmine Walker posted 12 points and five rebounds in the win.
Monmouth used a strong second half to pull away from the Peacocks to win the first of two meetings in the hOURglass rivalry series this season.
Trailing 32-31 with 18:29 left in the second half, the Hawks used an 18-5 run to take a 49-37 advantage.
Saint Peter's cut the lead to single digits with 7:50 to go in the stanza following a basket from Talah Hughes (Beacon, N.Y. / Beacon) to only trail 50-41. Free throws down the stretch for Monmouth would secure the victory.
The first half was a seesaw battle, as both teams exchanged runs throughout to keep the game close.
Down 23-13 in the first half, Saint Peter's used a 10-0 run, capped off by a layup from Mostafa, to knot the game at 23. The run was powered by Alyssa Velles (Franklin, Conn. / Norwich Free Academy), who scored six points.
Monmouth regained the lead with a triple from Hurt at the 2:27 mark. The Peacocks ended the half with three unanswered points to tie the game at 28 heading into the locker room.
Velles finished 11 points, while Sajanna Bethea (Levittown, Pa. / Pennsbury) recorded seven points, six rebounds and two steals. Samantha Meier (Manalapan, N.J. / Manalapan) tallied six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Saint Peter's returns to action on Feb. 7, with a trip to Manhattan. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
