RIVERDALE, NY - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team fell to the Manhattan Jaspers by a score of 69-55 Saturday night. The Peacocks now fall to 4-2 in conference games (5-6 overall) and now hold fourth place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) standings.
Redshirt-senior
Taiah Thornton and classmate
Kendrea Williams led the Peacocks offense with 16 points each. Both players had successful nights from the floor, as Thornton finished 6-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep range, while Williams shot 6-of-9 overall and connected on three of her five three-point shots.
How It Happened
- Thornton carried her momentum from Friday's contest into Saturday night, starting with two unanswered triples to give the Peacocks a 6-0 lead. Thornton would improve to 3-for-3 from deep range 30 seconds later to give Saint Peter's a 9-2 lead.
- The gap between the two sides stretched to 11 points following back-to-back lay-ups from Thornton and freshman Ajia James. The Jaspers were then able to trim the Peacocks' lead to 16-10 after an 8-3 Manhattan run over the next three minutes.
- Neither team found the bottom of the net for the first two minutes of the second stanza until a pair of Manhattan free throws brought the score to 19-15. A key steal in the paint from James would then lead to a three-point bucket from junior Tyara McQueen, giving Saint Peter's a 22-15 edge.
- The hosts were able to narrow Saint Peter's lead to 24-23 midway through the second quarter, but a tough driving lay-up from Thornton would give the Peacocks a three-point advantage.
- A fade-away from freshman Taylor Abraham with one minute remaining in the first half helped to maintain the three-point margin as the Peacocks led 31-28.
- Williams opened the second half for Saint Peter's, knocking down a triple from the corner to put the Peacocks up 34-30. The Jaspers would then even the score for the first tie of the night, leveling the scoreboard at 36-36.
- The Jaspers claimed their first lead of the day with 6:27 remaining in the third frame until Williams came back with another deep ball, reclaiming the one point lead at 39-38.
- A 7-0 run for Saint Peter's off two baskets from Williams and one from James gave the Peacocks a 43-38 lead with just over four minutes left in the period. The Jaspers responded with an 8-0 run of their own, gaining a 46-43 edge until a lay-up from James broke the run, cutting the Manhattan lead to one to close out the quarter.
- The two sides traded triples to start the final 10 minutes of play with the Saint Peter's deep ball coming from the hands of Thornton. After falling behind 54-50, a pivotal McQueen triple off the glass brought the game back to within a single point.
- A 6-0 Manhattan run gave the hosts a 60-53 lead with three minutes left to play, and the Jaspers would hold on to win 69-55.
Inside The Numbers:
- Thornton's 13-point first half marks the redshirt-senior's strongest single half performance of the season thus far.
- Heading into the first media timeout of the third quarter, Williams had not missed a shot from the field, going a perfect 5-for-5 including three shots from downtown.
- The Peacocks finished the first half shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 50 percent from beyond the arc, making 5-of-10 of their deep range shots.
- Saint Peter's had the upper hand in the deep threat Saturday night, shooting 40.9 percent from three-point range compared to 33.3 percent from Manhattan.
- Free throws played a large role in Saturday's loss, as the Peacocks went 2-of-10 from the charity stripe.
Coach's Quote - Marc Mitchell:
- "Love the team's effort tonight. Proud of how we battled."
Up Next:
- The Peacocks will remain on the road as the team travels to Connecticut for a series against Fairfield from Jan. 8-9. Both contests are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
