NEWARK, NJ - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team mounted a furious late-game rally that saw them get within a possession of a tying basket, but the Peacocks ultimately dropped a 76-73 decision on the road to NJIT on Wednesday night in Newark. Redshirt junior
Taiah Thornton finished with a season-high 24 points while also grabbing five rebounds throughout the game and was a major factor down the stretch as the Peacocks' nearly rallied all the way back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit before coming up just short.
How It Happened
- Sophomore Wil'lisha Jackson scored the first six points of the day for the Peacocks, sinking each of her first three shots.
- Sophomore Briyanah Richardson tied the game up at 10-10 with just over 5 minutes left in the opening stanza off a triple of her own.
- Thornton put in her first shot of the day late in the first quarter off a tear-drop shot from the free throw line, which she followed up with a shot from deep on the next offensive phase.
- Thornton scored nine straight points for the Peacocks late in the first to put Saint Peter's up 18-14.
- Senior Zoe Pero put up her first points of the day with less than a minute to go in the first quarter on a successful layup.
- Less than 30 seconds into the second quarter, Yamel Abreu hit her first triple of the day off the helper from Taiah Thornton, giving the Peacocks a 23-17 lead.
- Kendrea Williams scored her first three-pointer of the contest with just over seven and a half minutes to go in the first half, giving a much-needed boost to the Peacocks offense.
- Heading into the second quarter media timeout at 4:47, the score was tied once more, this time at 30-30.
- Pero would eventually break the tie with just over three minutes left in the half on a wide open layup, bringing the score to 32-30.
- Williams hit a crucial free throw late in the first half after drawing a foul on a successful layup, bringing the score to 37-35 in favor of the Highlanders, but the Peacocks would head into the half trailing 42-37.
- Richardson made sure to capitalize on a wide-open triple at the beginning of the second half, cutting the NJIT lead to 46-42.
- Halfway through the third quarter, sophomore Tyara McQueen snuck a beautiful bounce pass between two NJIT defenders to feed Williams for the easy layup.
- After a key steal by McQueen with 3:15 remaining in the third, Williams would sink a deep three-pointer from the corner, drawing the foul and making the subsequent free-throw to complete the four-point play.
- Thornton struck quickly for the Peacocks in the final 10 minutes of play, hitting a successful jumper less than 20 seconds into the final quarter.
- Richardson scored on four consecutive shots midway through the fourth, hitting her third triple of the day on the second shot, and bringing the score within seven, (72-65) in favor of NJIT.
- Thornton then scored her second triple of the day to cut the Highlander lead to four with two and a half minutes remaining in the game.
- Williams eventually cut the Highlander lead to three points, dropping a triple with less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation, making the score 76-73.
Inside The Numbers:
- Thornton's performance is the Pennsauken native's first time breaking the 20-point mark since joining the Peacocks, and the redshirt junior has recorded double-digit scoring in all six games this season for Saint Peter's.
- Williams and Richardson joined Thornton among the team's scoring leaders Wednesday night, recording 17 points and 15 points respectively.
- Thornton and Williams led the way in the rebounding department for the Peacocks, grabbing five boards each on the night.
- Richardson, McQueen, and Abreu made sure to spread the wealth against the Highlanders, with each player dishing out three assists.
- Richardson also shot a season-best 66.7 percent from the floor, including going 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Coach's Quotes - Marc Mitchell
- "Once again, our players never quit and we always fight to the end."
- "Extremely proud of how we ended the game today."
Up Next:
- The Peacocks will travel south for their final road game in non-conference play to face off against Delaware State on Saturday, Dec. 6, for a 2 p.m. start.
