Box Score HAMDEN, CT - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team fell in a narrow 70-69 defeat to defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) champion Quinnipiac Thursday night. The Peacocks held control for the majority of the game, but a late surge by the Bobcats in the final minutes proved to be the difference.
Taiah Thornton had an impressive outing, leading all players with a game-high 27 points while tying her career-high from beyond the arc with five triples.
How It Happened
- Briyanah Richardson struck first for the Peacocks on Thursday night, taking the ball in herself for a contested layup and tying the game at 2-2 after two minutes of play.
- The Peacocks took their first lead of the day following a deep triple from Kendrea Williams midway through the opening quarter, going up 7-4 on the defending champs. With less than two minutes left in the quarter, the Peacocks took a 14-9 lead as Thornton hit a three-pointer of her own on the assist from Williams. Saint Peter's finished the first quarter leading Quinnipiac 19-13.
- The Peacocks opened the second quarter with two made free throws from Thornton, lifting their lead to 21-13. However, the Bobcats would respond with a 7-0 run, cutting the Peacocks' lead to just a single point.
- The lead would change once again with four minutes remaining in the half, as a three-pointer from Quinnipiac's Cur'Tiera Haywood put the Bobcats up, 28-27. Another make from deep on the part of Thornton would put the Peacocks back on top, 33-28. The Peacocks ultimately went into the locker room with a 37-30 advantage over the defending league champions.
- The Bobcats cut into the Peacocks' lead early in the second half, trimming the scoreboard to 39-36 in favor of Saint Peter's. After consecutive trips to the charity stripe by Williams and Richardson, the Peacocks regained a five-point (41-36) lead.
- Quinnipiac would stick right with Saint Peter's though, once again taking the lead off a triple with less than a minute to go in the third quarter, taking a 51-49 edge. Ultimately, the two sides would enter the final stanza tied at 51-51.
- Following a flagrant foul by Quinnipiac's Paige Warfel at the start of the fourth quarter, Williams would hit one of two shots from the line to put the Peacocks up by a 54-53 margin.
- The momentum of both teams would swing back-and-forth throughout the fourth quarter, as the Peacocks maintained their lead until three minute were left on the clock.
- The Bobcats would eventually take back a 63-60 lead with just over two and a half minutes remaining and ultimately never surrendered the lead.
- After falling behind, 65-61, Gabrielle Harris finished an impressive driving layup while drawing the foul, converting on the free throw and completing the three-point play to cut the Quinnipiac lead to one.
- That, however, was the closest the visitors would get on the way to ultimately dropping a one-point affair.
Inside The Numbers:
- The Peacocks' largest lead of the day came early, as the team took a 19-13 advantage at the end of the first quarter after a wide open triple from Williams.
- Thornton's five made three-pointers match her season-best, originally set at Niagara on Jan. 23 of this season.
- Thornton was the only player from either side to finish the game with more than 20 points, while she was joined by Harris (12) and Williams (11) in double-digit territory.
- At the end of the first quarter, the Peacocks had gone 7-for-15 from the floor while the hosting Bobcats had only gone 5-for-21.
- The Peacocks proved to be the more efficient shooters throughout the entirety of the contest, shooting 39.3 percent from the field to Quinnipiac's 35.7, and 42.9 percent from deep compared to 38.5 percent from the Bobcats.
Up Next:
- The Peacocks will have a week of rest before heading to Lawrenceville, New Jersey, for a rematch with second-place Rider on Thursday, March 5 for a 7 p.m. start.
