FAIRFIELD, CONN. – The Saint Peter's Women's Basketball team pushed conference leader Fairfield but ultimately came up short 52-46 on Saturday afternoon at Leo D. Mahoney Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED
During the first quarter, Keith got the offense rolling with an early three-pointer. Freshman forward Fatmata Janneh added a pair of buckets, while freshman center Carys Roy scored in the paint. Sophomore guard Jada Leonard netted a lay-up to push the Peacock lead to 11-3 midway through the opening quarter. The Stags rallied late but trailed 11-10 after one quarter of play.
The teams traded leads to start the second quarter as Janneh and Leonard went back to back lay-ups to put Saint Peter's back in front 15-14. The Stags answered with a bucket but Roy drained a pair from the free throw line midway through the quarter to give the Peacocks a 17-16 lead. Fairfield went on a late run to lead 27-19 at the break.
Saint Peter's opened the second half on a 10-2 run to pull even 29. Graduate forward Maria Fux started the Peacocks off with a driving layup. Janneh connected on two free throws, while Leonard scored in the paint. Keith had a fast break lay-up, tying the score 29-29 midway through the third quarter. Fairfield pushed ahead by seven late in the quarter but late trifectas by senior guard Rachel Kuhl and Keith helped close the gap to 39-35 heading to the final quarter.
The Peacocks got as close as three points at 41-38 midway through the quarter following a bucket by sophomore Reilly Sunday. The Stags answered with a triple to extend their lead but held off a Peacock rally down the stretch.
Keith led the way with 12 points, two rebounds and three steals, shooting 5-for-6 from the field. Leonard posted 10 points and three boards, while Janneh contributed six points and a team-best nine rebounds.
NEXT UP
Next up, the Peacocks return home to Run Baby Run Arena where they face the Manhattan Jaspers on Thursday, February 15th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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