JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team lost to the Coppin State Eagles by a score of 66-57 Saturday afternoon in Run Baby Run Arena. The Peacocks celebrated senior day, honoring senior guard Nickelle O'Neil, senior guard Tyara McQueen, senior guard Binta Salawu, and graduate guard Kendrea Williams before the game. Junior center Kassondra Brown scored a career high 24 points and matched her career high in rebounds with 16 in the contest.
Brown once again scored the first basket of the game for the Peacocks, which is becoming a regular occurence. She would finish the quarter with four points. Salawu and McQueen hit back-to-back threes four the Peacocks to extend their lead to four early on in the game, but the Eagles fought back to take an 13-11 lead at the end of the quarter.
The Peacocks largest lead of the game was five, which happened twice in the second quarter. Brown scored back-to-back buckets with just over five minutes to go in the quarter to give the Peacocks a 20-15 lead. Later on in the quarter, freshman forward Kaila Dawkins drained a triple from the corner to give Saint Peter's a 26-21 lead. The quarter was capped off by a Salawu buzzer beater off of her own miss to give the home team a 28-26 halftime lead.
Coppin State was the aggressor coming out of halftime. After O'Neil hit the opening basket of the half, the Eagles went on a 10-0 run spanning five minutes to take open their largest lead of the game. The Peacocks would tie the game back up at 36 after a layup from sophomore forward Victoria Ikenasio, but Coppin State would take a 42-37 lead into the fourth.
The Eagles lead was 10 with 6:46 left on the clock before Salawu made her second three of the game to cut their lead to seven. Senior guard Kourtney Crane picked up a steal and went coast-to-coast 5:25 left to decrease the Coppin State lead to four, but the game never got any closer, as the Eagles were able to make free throws down the stretch to hold on to the lead.
Top Peacock Performers
- Brown tied her career high with 37 minutes, totaling 24 points for a new career high and matching her career high in rebounds with 16, a number she set earlier in the season against Wagner. Brown also set a career high with three blocks.
- Salawu was the only other Peacock to record double digit scoring on the afternoon. She totalled 10 points and made two threes, matching her season best.
- Williams had a quiet day by her standards, only scoring eight points. She was able to grab four rebounds.
- Dawkins made her first career three pointer in the second quarter.
Stat Pack
- Saint Peter's shot 22-of-72 from the floor (30.6%) while recording a 6-of-25 mark (24.0%) from downtown. The team shot 7-of-10 (70%) at the free throw line.
- Saint Peter's scored 15 second chance points in the game.
- The Peacocks scored 18 points off of 16 Coppin State turnovers.
Up Next
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The Peacocks are back in action on Friday, December 17, as they open up their 2021-22 MAAC conference slate by visiting Niagara on the first leg of their Buffalo road trip. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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