Box Score RIVERDALE, N.Y. – In her 100th game in a Peacocks uniform, Antonia Smith (Bronx, N.Y. / Dwight School) scored 24 points to power Saint Peter's past Manhattan 68-58 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon.
Smith connected on 9-of-15 from the floor, 5 of 6 from the free throw line and 1 of 1 from behind the arc for her first 20-point performance of the season. During the 19-9 run to end the game, Smith posted eight points. Smith also finished with six rebounds and a career-high eight assists.
Alyssa Velles (Franklin, Conn. / Norwich Free Academy) and Sajanna Bethea (Levittown, Pa. / Pennsbury) each chipped in with 14 points, while Hala Mostafa (Cairo, Egypt / Modern Narmer Language School) collected six points and five rebounds in the victory.
Kayla Grimme paced Manhattan (2-20, 1-12 MAAC) with 11 points and four rebounds. Nyasha Irizarry and Ashley Stec finished with 10 points apiece in the winning effort.
Saint Peter's (3-19, 3-10 MAAC) took the lead for good at the 5:36 mark in the second half and would not look back for its third victory of the season. The win snaps a two-game losing streak against Manhattan.
The first half of action saw back and forth between the two schools. Knotted at 11, the Jaspers used an 11-4 run to take a 22-15 advantage with 4:23 left in the half. The run was capped off by consecutive 3-pointers from Irizarry.
Saint Peter's cut into the deficit with consecutive field goals from Bethea and Mostafa to trail 22-19. Following three unanswered points from the Jaspers, the Peacocks closed out the half with four straight points, capped off by a jumper from Smith to trail 25-24 heading into halftime.
Tied at 28 in the second half, the Peacocks used a 7-2 run to take a 35-30 lead with 14:46 to go. Manhattan cut into the margin with back-to-back layups. The stanza would continue to go back and forth, knotting the game at 49 with 5:50 left on the clock.
Saint Peter's finished the game on a 19-9 run, fueled by 10 made free throws. Manhattan spent the final minutes over the foul limit, allowing the Peacocks to shoot free throws down the stretch and extend their lead.
Bridget Whitfield (San Diego, Calif. / La Costa Canyon) tallied five points and five rebounds, while Samantha Meier (Manalapan, N.J. / Manalapan) finished with four points, four rebounds and one block.
The Peacocks shot 50-percent from the field and 78.9-percent from the charity stripe.
The Peacocks return to action on Feb. 10, when the team heads to Lawrenceville for an hOURglass rivalry matchup against Rider. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m.
