JERSEY CITY, NJ - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team fell to Niagara 68-64 in Jersey City Thursday night. The Peacocks led for more than three quarters of the game, but ultimately fell behind after a drop in production in the final minutes of play.
Sophomore
Briyanah Richardson paced the Peacocks offense in the contest, leading all players in Thursday's game with 21 points while dishing out a team-high seven assists. Redshirt junior
Kendrea Williams was the only other Peacock to break double-digit scoring in the affair, posting 16 points while shooting 50 percent from the field.
How It Happened
- Taiah Thornton opened the scoring for the Peacocks on their first possession, hitting a deep three-pointer off the feed from Richardson just 16 seconds into the game. Williams would follow it up with a triple of her own, again off the feed from Richardson, putting Saint Peter's up 6-2.
- A three-pointer and made layup from the Purple Eagles would soon bring the score even once again at 6-6, before Thornton put the team back on top with a layup. Richardson would extend the lead to five on a deep shot following a key block from Zoe Pero on the defensive end. Niagara would take its first lead of the day at 12-11 late in the first quarter.
- After trailing 15-11 late in the opening stanza, the Peacocks would put together an 8-0 run to end the first quarter and regain an 18-15 lead after 10 minutes of play.
- The two teams would go tic-for-tac to start the second period of play, with the score tied at 27-27 with just over six minutes left to play in the first half.
- The Peacocks then gained some much-needed momentum late in the half with a 9-0 run with buckets coming from Richardson, Gabrielle Harris, and Cinnamon Dockery.
- Saint Peter's would come out firing in the second half, scoring four quick points off layups from Williams and Wil'lisha Jackson, extending the Peacocks lead to 40-28. The Purple Eagles would then return with a run of their own, scoring nine straight points to narrow the gap to 40-37.
- Dockery would eventually end the Niagara run, hitting a dagger of a triple from beyond the arc, followed immediately by another Richardson three-pointer. A free throw from Dockery would finish off a 7-0 run for the Peacocks, putting them back up by 10 with the scoreboard reading 47-37.
- The Peacocks finished out the quarter ahead by six, leading the Purple Eagles 51-45 heading into the final 10 minutes.
- Williams opened the fourth quarter with her third triple of the day, giving the Peacocks a boost on the offensive front from an unrelenting Niagara squad and bringing the score to 54-48.
- Following a 7-0 run from the visitors, the Purple Eagles would cut the Peacocks' lead to just a single point, with Saint Peter's ahead 56-55 with just under five minutes left in the game. Williams would once again breathe some life into the Peacocks, drawing the foul on a successful layup and converting on the subsequent free throw.
- After drawing a foul on a shot from behind the line, Niagara's Jai Moore would hit all three shots from the line to give the Purple Eagles a 60-59 lead with just over three minutes left in action. The Purple Eagles would maintain their lead for the remainder of the contest.
Inside The Numbers:
- Richardson would hit three consecutive shots late in the first half to put the Peacocks ahead by nine, which was their largest first-half lead of the day. The sophomore finished the first half with 13 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
- Saint Peter's would finish the final six minutes of the first half on a 9-1 run, giving them a 36-28 lead heading into the locker room.
- Richardson and Williams were the only players in the game to hit at least three triples, with each player making three shots from beyond the arc.
- Jackson finished with 11 rebounds on the night, which marks the sophomore's third game of the season in which she has broken double-digits in the category.
- Niagara had the significant advantage in free throws Thursday night, going 21-for-30 from the line compared to 10-for-12 from the Peacocks.
Up Next:
- The Peacocks remain at home to welcome Canisius for a weekend bout on Saturday, February 15 at 2 p.m.
