RIVERDALE, NY - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team dropped its non-conference tilt against Manhattan on Saturday, Feb. 6 by a score of 75-70. In a game that saw the Peacocks trail by as many as 11 points in the second quarter, Saint Peter's was able to battle back to a two-point lead in the waning moments of the third period before Manhattan regained an advantage and held onto it until the final buzzer.
The Peacocks were highlighted by redshirt-senior
Kendrea Williams, who scored the most of any player in the field on Saturday with 20 points. Freshman forward
Ajia James also had a standout performance, recording her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds in the affair. Redshirt-senior
Taiah Thornton was the third Saint Peter's player to finish in double digits on the day, scoring 13 points in the exchange.
How It Happened:
- A stout Saint Peter's defense resulted in a Manhattan turnover on the first possession of the game, but the blue and white were unable to capitalize on the offensive end. An opening lay-up moments later from Thornton got things started for the Peacocks, tying the score at 2-2.
- James followed up the effort with five points of her own, including the team's first triple of the day from the top of the arc, bringing the score to 8-7 in favor of the Jaspers. The hosts then closed out the period on an 11-3 run, going up 19-10 after 10 minutes.
- Opening buckets from graduate Jenna Clark in the second quarter, including a smooth up-and-under shot off the dish from Thornton, were able to keep Saint Peter's within single digits of Manhattan, as the score read 21-14 with eight minutes remaining in the half.
- After the Jaspers gained an 11-point advantage, Thornton was able to make a coast-to-coast run, which ended in a quick lay-up to bring the score to 25-16.
- A driving lay-up from junior guard Binta Salawu ended a four-minute scoring drought for the Peacocks with two minutes left to go in the frame, drawing the score to 27-19. Thornton followed up with five unanswered points of her own, cutting the Manhattan advantage to 29-24.
- Following a free throw from the Jaspers to start the second half, Saint Peter's was able to get the ball rolling with a patented Thornton to James inbound play. A lay-up on the following possession from Williams off the feed from James cut the Manhattan advantage to four points (32-28).
- The two sides traded shots for the next five minutes, however two key triples from Williams and a deep ball from freshman guard Rachel Kuhl cut the Manhattan lead to 44-43 with just over three minutes left in the third stanza.
- After drawing a shooting foul from beyond the arc, Williams was able to hit all three shots from the charity stripe to tie the game for the first time since the 7:21 mark in the first quarter, bringing the score to 47-47.
- Three more successful shots from the line courtesy of Williams before the end of the quarter gave the Peacocks their first lead of the afternoon, as Saint Peter's gained a 51-49 edge heading into the final frame.
- A successful trip to the line from Salawu at the start of the fourth quarter kept the Peacocks ahead, but Manhattan quickly answered with a 6-0 run to regain a 57-53 lead.
- Saint Peter's was able to get back to within two points of Manhattan midway through the fourth period after a pivotal three-pointer from Thornton, which brought the score to 66-64. However, the Jaspers were able to maintain their advantage for the remainder of the game, finishing with a 75-70 victory.
Inside The Numbers:
- Williams now has two 20+ point outings on the season, while James is now the only Peacock with multiple double-doubles in 2020-21.
- The three-pointer from James in the first quarter marks the rookie's first triple of her collegiate career.
- Saint Peter's was able to apply pressure on the Manhattan offense early Saturday afternoon, forcing 12 turnovers through the first half of play.
- Fouls played a large role in Manhattan's victory, as the Jaspers had 31 attempts from the line on Saturday, converting on 19 shots, while the Peacocks made the same amount of free throws on 22 attempts.
- Each team finished the contest with 11 offensive rebounds.
Up Next:
- The Peacocks will head north on I-95 on Monday to square up against Fairfield for a two game series from Feb. 8-9. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
