STATEN ISLAND, NY - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team fell in a heartbreaker on Wednesday night, dropping an 89-90 decision to the Wagner Seahawks in Staten Island. Despite leading for nearly 30 minutes of the contest, the Peacocks were unable to hold on to the lead in the final seconds. Wagner's Emilija Krista Grava hit the game-winner for the Seahawks, with just 0.4 seconds on the clock.
How It Happened
- Redshirt-junior Taiah Thornton got things started quickly for the Peacocks, recording the first two points of the night in less than six seconds of tip-off by way of layup.
- Junior guard Yamel Abreu got in on the action with just under five minutes remaining in the opening quarter, grabbing a defensive rebound and taking it the length of the court to score on a driving layup.
- With 3:45 left in the quarter, Thornton sank one of two from the line to put the Peacocks up 12-11 and give the squad their first lead of the game.
- At the 2:51 mark, Tyara McQueen banked in a beautiful tear-drop shot off the glass to put the Peacocks up 16-11.
- With just over five minutes left in the second quarter, Briyanah Richardson sent a feed to Kendrea Williams who hit the shot from beyond the arc to put the Peacocks back in front 33-30.
- A few phases later, sophomore forward Phylina Holmes hit a much-needed mid-range jumper to give the Peacocks a 35-33 advantage.
- Williams would close out the half on a high note for the Peacocks, drilling the shot with just two seconds remaining in the half to send Saint Peter's into the break leading 44-40.
- Sophomore forward Wil'lisha Jackson started things up for Saint Peter's in the second half, draining two free throws after drawing a foul on an offensive rebound.
- Richardson scored her first points of the game on a trip to the line early in the third quarter.
- Before the end of the quarter, Richardson would chalk up four more points via free throws.
- Following a personal foul from Wagner, Harris would knock down two shots from the charity stripe to give the Peacocks their largest lead of the game at 65-55.
- Just inside the five minute-mark in the fourth quarter, Richardson hit her first three of the year to extend the Saint Peter's lead to 77-71.
- After falling behind by one-point, Jackson would find the last points of the night for the Peacocks, making the go-ahead bucket with 17.5 seconds left to make the score 89-88.
Inside The Numbers:
- Wednesday's game marks the second consecutive contest in which the Peacocks have scored 89 points.
- The last time the Peacocks scored 89 or more points in two consecutive games was in early 1990, when Saint Peter's defeated Fairfield 95-82 on Jan. 31, and then Loyola 97-55 in the following game on Feb. 3.
- Thornton led the way for a high-powered Saint Peter's offense, dropping a team-high 17 points with three rebounds, three steals, and two assists while shooting just shy of 42 percent from the field.
- Four more players would accomplish double-digit scoring against the Seahawks, including Harris (16), Richardson (11), Williams (11), and Abreu (10).
- Harris and Richardson led the effort on the boards for the squad tonight, with each player recording seven rebounds on the night.
- Thornton and Williams each found success from deep on Wednesday night, with both players sinking three shots from beyond the arc and each shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range.
Coach's Quotes - Marc Mitchell
- "We fought hard tonight. Wagner made one more play than we did."
- "Great effort."
Up Next:
- The Peacocks will head south to Baltimore as they prepare for a morning-matchup with Coppin State on Friday, Nov. 15 at 11 a.m.
