ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team made history once again Friday afternoon, defeating No. 7 Rider 72-67 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Women's Basketball semifinal. The victory marks the first time the Peacocks have advanced to the final since 2002, when the program went on to win the MAAC Championship via an 83-71 victory over Siena. Additionally, the Peacocks' advancement into the championship game marks the first time since 1991 that the women have reached the final as a three-seed.
Redshirt-senior
Taiah Thornton led the way for the Peacocks in their semifinal win over hOURglass Rival Rider on Friday, earning "Tropicana AC" Player of the Game honors following her team-leading 16-point outing. The redshirt-senior also tacked on a game-high seven assists and six rebounds in the affair. Freshman forward
Sky Castro paced the team in rebounds for the second straight contest, pulling down eight boards against the Broncs. Junior
Tyara McQueen also had a pivotal outing for Saint Peter's, matching her season-high of 11 points while knocking down three triples on the day.
How It Happened:
- After the Peacocks began the day down 4-0, junior Binta Salawu was able to knock down an opening triple from the wing to bring the score to 4-3 in favor of Rider.
- The Broncs were able to increase their lead to 9-3, following two unanswered baskets. Rider would improve its run to 7-0, taking an 11-3 advantage midway through the first quarter.
- Thornton and classmate Kendrea Williams then combined for four unanswered points for the Peacocks, drawing the team back to within four points of the lead.
- A pair of free throws from Thornton would cap off a 9-0 for Saint Peter's as they took a 12-11 lead with 1:46 left in the first frame. Saint Peter's would increase its streak to 15-2 by the end of the quarter and led 18-13 after the first period.
- The teams traded buckets to start the second quarter, as Saint Peter's held a 22-18 edge after the first two and a half minutes of the period. A triple from Rider then brought it back to a one-point game.
- The Broncs recaptured the lead following their 8-0 run, going up 24-22 before triples from Williams and McQueen put the Peacocks back on top 28-24. Rider responded with a triple and a pair of made free throws to go back up 29-28 with just under six minutes left in the half.
- A quick 7-0 streak from Saint Peter's featuring shots from McQueen, Salawu, and freshman Ajia James granted a 35-30 lead for Saint Peter's with 1:57 remaining in the quarter. A closing triple from McQueen at the halftime buzzer sent the team into the locker room up 38-32.
- A baseline jumper courtesy of Thornton opened the second half for Saint Peter's as the team's lead climbed to 40-32.
- The Peacocks maintained their eight-point edge over the next two minutes, leading their hOURglass rivals 49-41 with 7:16 left in the third quarter. The Broncs then made it a two-possession game late in the third quarter, drawing the score to 50-45.
- Rider would close out the third frame on a 9-3 run off three triples to make it a one-point (55-54) game in favor of Saint Peter's
- Castro struck first for the Peacocks in the fourth quarter, putting in a lay-up off the assist from James. The Broncs were able to tie the game once again midway through the fourth quarter at 59-59.
- The Peacocks regained a slight 63-62 lead with less than three minutes before a Salawu three-pointer was able to put the team back up by two points (66-64) with 1:59 left on the clock.
- Freshman Taylor Abraham then hit perhaps the most crucial shot of the game with 1:12 left to play, knocking down a deep shot from the top of the key to give Saint Peter's a 68-64 edge.
- After the Peacocks improved their advantage to 70-65, the Broncs were able to bring it back to a one-possession game, as the score read 70-67 with 20 seconds left in regulation.
- Salawu was able to bring it home for the blue and white, however, sinking a pair of free throws to guarantee the 72-67 victory.
Inside The Numbers:
- Thornton has now led the Peacocks in scoring in nine games this season, and her 16 points mark a new postseason-high for the Pennsauken native.
- Joining Thornton and McQueen in double-digit scoring on Friday were Salawu (13 points), Williams (13 points), and James (12 points).
- Head coach Marc Mitchell is the first Saint Peter's women's basketball head coach to reach the MAAC Championship final since Peacocks hall of fame coach Mike Granelli.
- The Peacocks now improve to 13-14 on the season, marking the most overall wins for the program since 2008-09 when the team finished 13-15.
- The team also moves to 4-1 in the postseason against their hOURglass rivals from Lawrenceville, and are 3-2 against the Broncs in their last five meetings.
- Saint Peter's was on-point from deep on Friday, shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.
- It was a battle on the glass between the Peacocks and the Broncs, as Saint Peter's held the slight advantage with 36 boards compared to 34 from their in-state opposition.
- Saint Peter's made sure to take advantage of its chances at the line again on Friday, shooting an impressive 90 percent (18-of-20) from the charity stripe.
Up Next:
- The Peacocks will face off against No. 1 Marist in the MAAC Women's Basketball Championship Final on Saturday, March 13 at 11 a.m. The game is set to broadcast on ESPNews.
