JERSEY CITY, NJ - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team once again stunned the league on Tuesday night, defeating Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) third-ranked Fairfield at home, 66-63 in overtime. The game marks the first contest of the year in which the Peacocks went into overtime against their opponents.
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The Peacocks were paced by
Kendrea Williams, who finished the night with a game-high 22 points while shooting 43.8 percent from the floor and leading all players from beyond the arc with five made triples. However, it was
Taiah Thornton who would ultimately put Saint Peter's over the top, sinking a massive three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime to secure the victory.Â
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How It Happened
- The Peacocks fell behind early Tuesday night, trailing the visiting Stags 7-0 after the first three and a half minutes of play. The Peacocks soon got things going, bringing the score to 7-5 following key buckets from Wil'lisha Jackson and Zoe Pero.
- Williams would tie the game at 7-7 with just over three minutes left in the opening quarter, knocking down the midrange jumper off the assist from Thornton. The Peacocks would go scoreless for the remainder of the quarter, going down 13-7 after 10 minutes of play.
- The Peacocks started the second quarter with a strong passing sequence finished by a key shot from Briyanah Richardson, but would soon fall to a 19-9 deficit. Consecutive shots from Jackson and Richardson would once again trim the Stags lead (22-14) to seven.
- Williams would tack on eight much-needed points for the Peacocks late in the first half, grabbing a steal and finishing with the contested layup, followed by two consecutive triples to cut the Stags lead to 25-22 with under two minutes left in the quarter. The lead would then be cut to just one following a tough driving layup from Richardson. The Peacocks would enter the half trailing 25-24.
- A layup from Thornton in the opening minute of the third quarter would give the Peacocks their first lead of the night at 26-25. The Peacocks would eventually edge out to a four point lead following a driving layup from Gabrielle Harris midway through the period, going up 33-29.
- Fairfield returned with an 8-0 run, regaining a 37-33 lead, but a pivotal shot from Harris would end the streak and keep the Peacocks within two. Another brief run by the Stags would give them a 41-35 lead, but Richardson would hit her second triple of the day to cut the Fairfield lead to just three.
- After some back-and-forth to start the final quarter of action, the Peacocks would get hot and go on a 9-0 scoring run with contributions from Thornton, Pero, and Williams, putting Saint Peter's up 53-46.
- With just over two minutes left in the game, the Stags would level the playing field and tie the game at 53-53, and regulation would end with the same score, forcing the first overtime game at home for the Peacocks this season.
- Despite the Stags striking first in extra minutes, a clutch triple from Jackson and three made free throws from Williams would put the Peacocks out in front 63-58.
- After the Stags closed the gap with less than 10 seconds remaining in overtime, Thornton would get the feed from Pero and knock down the go-ahead triple with just 2.8 seconds remaining on the game clock. Saint Peter's would hold on to secure their fifth MAAC win of the season.
Inside The Numbers:
- Tuesday night's triumph marks the fifth conference win for the team, the most by the program since 2010-11 when the team also won five.Â
- Additionally, the victory marks the eighth overall win for the Peacocks on the season, the most since the team won 10 during the 2009-10 season.
- Tuesday night's win was the first time that Saint Peter's defeated Fairfield in Jersey City since taking a 56-46 victory at home on Jan. 10, 2016.
- Saint Peter's has now won back-to-back MAAC contests, the first time the feat has been achieved since 2011-12, when the team had consecutive wins over Loyola (MD) and Rider on Jan. 13 & 15.
- The Peacocks never shot a free throw in regulation during Tuesday's game, while the Stags had seven shots from the line in the first half.
- The Peacocks final three shots in the third quarter were all three-pointers, leading to a 9-2 run which would give them a 44-43 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Up Next:
- The Peacocks will finish out their homestand on Thursday, February 20 as they prepare to welcome current MAAC No. 1 Marist in a 7 p.m. contest.