PITTSBURGH, PA- Saint Peter's University women's basketball sophomore Fatmata Janneh and redshirt sophomore Nikola Zdenkova dropped in 18 points as the Peacocks fell short to the University of Pittsburgh 59-51 in a non-conference match-up.
WHAT HAPPENED
Sophomore Fatmata Janneh got the Peacocks off to a strong start by scoring their first points with a smooth turnaround jumper. Freshman Linda Amaning followed up with a second-chance tip-in layup. At the end of the first quarter, Saint Peter's held an 8-5 lead.
Janneh opened the second quarter strong, hitting a turnaround jumper to get the Peacocks going. Redshirt sophomore Nikola Zdenkova capitalized on an opponent's turnover with a clutch three-pointer, followed by Janneh draining a shot from beyond the arc. Freshman De'Naya Rippey added to the Peacocks lead by sinking a pair of free throws. Zdenkova struck again, hitting a deep three-pointer, while freshman Maria Andorinho converted a second-chance jumper off a Panthers turnover. Junior Louella Allana nailed a three-pointer, giving the Peacocks a 26-20 lead heading into halftime.
Zdenkova wrapped up the first half on fire, hitting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and finishing with nine points. Janneh added solid support, shooting 3-of-7 from the field to contribute seven points. However, the Panthers found their rhythm in the second half, pulling away to a commanding 40-28 lead by the end of the third quarter.
Zdenkova buried back-to-back three-pointers, igniting a spark for the Peacocks in the final stretch. Janneh scored a layup in the paint, and Zdenkova responded with a three-point jumper. Janneh pushed the ball on a fast break, finishing with a strong drive to the basket before adding two free throws. Graduate student Laila Grant capitalized on an opponent's turnover, sinking a smooth three-point jumper. Rippey scored a second-chance layup, finishing strong in the paint, before Janneh nailed a three-point jumper. The Peacocks battled until the final buzzer but came up short by a score of 59-51 to the Panthers.
STATISTICS
Nikola Zdenkova recorded an efficient 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including 6-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc, contributing a team-high 18 points over 34 minutes of play. Her 66.7% shooting from the floor and 75% from three-point range were key highlights in her performance.
Fatmata Janneh finished with 18 points and 4 rebounds in 28 minutes, shooting 7-of-17 from the field. Her 41.2% shooting efficiency highlighted her offensive contribution in the game.
De'Naya Rippey posted a solid stat line with 11 rebounds in 27 minutes, averaging 0.41 rebounds per minute. She also shot 75% from the free throw line, making 3-of-4 attempts.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks close out their non-conference play against LIU on Wednesday Dec.11th at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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