NIAGARA, N.Y. – The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team defeated the Niagara Purple Eagles by a score of 68-64 Friday night in the Gallagher Center. Junior center Kassondra Brown scored 21 points and added nine rebounds in the game.
Niagara scored the first four points of the game before Saint Peter's scored, as sophomore forward Sky Castro and Brown scored back-to-back buckets to tie the game up. The Peacocks took their first lead of the game on a layup by freshman forward Kaila Dawkins with 2:59 left on the clock. However, Niagara would close the quarter on a 11-2 run to take a 20-12 lead.
After trailing for most of the second quarter, Castro scored two buckets, one at the 5:20 mark and another at the 4:20 mark to tie the game at 27. Graduate guard Kendrea Williams made the only three pointer of the game by Saint Peter's with 2:49 left on the first half clock. On the next possession, senior guard Kourtney Crane made a tough bucket plus the foul to tie the game at 33. The Purple Eagles would leave at the half, 38-35.
The two teams were neck and neck throughout the first seven minutes of the third quarter, with neither team having a lead of more than three. Brown scored four during that time frame, and freshman guard Amaris Mills scored her first career points on a putback layup with 3:13 left in the third to cut the Niagara lead to 45-44. Following the bucket by Mills, Niagara went on a 7-0 run. Williams changed the momentum with a steal and score with just over a minute left in the quarter, as she made two more free throws and Castro added another to end the quarter. Niagara led 52-51 after three frames.
Brown got the scoring going in the fourth quarter with a jumper to put Saint Peter's in front. The game was back and forth from there, with the two teams trading buckets. Brown and senior guard Nickelle O'Neil made two big defensive plays in the quarter, each taking a charge. The Peacocks lead grew to five, 63-58, as Crane and Brown each made buckets with under four minutes to go. Niagara clawed their way back though, making a layup with 59 seconds left to take the lead. On the next possession, Williams made a beautiful cut and finished the layup to put the Peacocks back in front, 65-64. Brown and O'Neil combined to make three free throws down the stretch as the Peacocks secured the win.
Top Peacock Performers
- Brown led the team with 21 points. Brown also put up nine boards, three assists, and a block.
- Crane matched her season high with 15 points. She also had five rebounds and a career high two blocks.
- Williams dropped 12 points, inching closer to the 2000 career point mark. She is 14 away from that mark.
- Castro scored seven points and got seven rebounds.
Milestones
- Williams: Career high four steals and a season high 40 minutes.
- Dawkins: Career high 25 minutes and a career high five assists.
- Mills: Career high two points and a career high one field goal.
- O'Neil: Season high three points, 28 minutes, and three free throws.
- Crane: Season high two blocks.
Stat Pack
- Saint Peter's shot 24-of-59 from the floor (40.7%) while recording a 1-of-10 mark (10.0%) from downtown. The team shot 19-of-25 (76%) at the free throw line.
- Saint Peter's scored 42 points in the paint.
- The Peacocks scored 22 points off of 25 Coppin State turnovers.
- Saint Peter's led for 6:12 of total game time.
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