BUFFALO, NY - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team got back on track after posting a convincing 86-68 win over Canisius on Saturday afternoon in Buffalo. A historic performance from beyond the arc was the story for the Peacocks, who tied a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) single-game record with 16 made three-pointers.
Two Peacocks broke the 20-point mark in Saturday's victory, with redshirt junior
Kendrea Williams knocking down a team-high 22 points and classmate
Gabrielle Harris finishing with 20. Williams also led the team in three-point shooting, going 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. Joining the double-digit effort for Saint Peter's were
Taiah Thornton and
Tyara McQueen, who scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.
How It Happened
- Saint Peter's opened the game with back-to-back triples from Richardson and Thornton and would begin the contest on an 8-3 run in the first three minutes of play.
- Canisius would climb back to take their first lead late in the quarter at 11-10, until a pair of steals for and consistent shooting put the Peacocks back on top, 16-11. Harris would go on to hit back-to-back three-pointers from the corner, boosting the visitors to a 24-16 edge at the conclusion of the quarter.
- The Peacocks would start the second stanza off strong, extending their lead to 30-17 while forcing three turnovers within a minute.
- Just under three minutes later, Thornton would pull up for her first triple of the game and the third in the quarter for Saint Peter's, giving the Peacocks a 35-22 advantage.
- The Peacocks would continue the offensive clinic all the way until the buzzer, as eight of their 23 second-quarter points came in the final minute of play to give the visitors a 47-28 lead at the midpoint.
- The Golden Griffins came out firing in the second half, going on a 5-0 run of their own in the first two and a half minutes until a layup from Briyanah Richardson ended the Peacock drought. Thornton would then go to the line for the first free throws of the day for Saint Peter's, sinking both and giving the Peacocks a 51-36 lead.
- Back-to-back triples from Kendrea Williams midway through the third quarter provided some additional momentum back to the Peacocks, giving the team a 21-point advantage. Williams would eventually knock down a buzzer-beating triple at the end of the quarter to put the Peacocks up 71-54 heading into the final frame.
- Saint Peter's would again get going on both ends midway through the fourth quarter, going on a 9-3 run over a four-minute span. A pull-up jumper from Harris from 12 feet out brought the Peacocks back up to an 18-point lead with just over one minute remaining, as that proved to be the final margin of victory.
Inside The Numbers:
- The Peacocks' 16 made triples ties MAAC record for three-pointers made in a single game, as well as the Koessler Athletic Center record, originally set by Marist on Feb. 10, 2008.
- McQueen's 11-point outing and three made triples each mark new season highs for the sophomore.
- At the end of the first quarter, the Peacocks were shooting 10-of-15 while also going 4-for-8 from deep compared to 5-for-13 from the field for Canisius.
- The Peacocks didn't shoot free throws until the 6:42 mark in the third quarter, while Canisius had already gone 9-for-12 from the line up until that point.
- Saint Peter's recorded eight steals in the first half, which led to 10 fastbreak points in the first 20 minutes, while the Golden Griffins ended the half with four steals.
- The Peacocks' 47-point performance in the first half is their highest scoring effort in the first 20 minutes of a game since the season opener against LIU on Nov. 5, when Saint Peter's had 50 at halftime.
Coach's Quotes - Marc Mitchell:
- "Happy for our players considering the hard work that they put in."
- "Great team win."
Up Next:
- The Peacocks head back to Jersey City as they prepare to host defending MAAC champion Quinnipiac on Thursday, Jan. 30, in a 7 p.m. start.
