Box Score RIVERDALE, NY - The Saint Peter's University women's basketball team dropped a narrow 68-64 decision at Manhattan on Saturday afternoon. The Peacocks led for the vast majority of the game, but a late comeback by the Jaspers in the final minutes proved to be the difference. Redshirt junior
Taiah Thornton finished the day with a team-high 22 points while also dishing out a team-high six assists.
How It Happened
- The Peacocks opened the scoring just over a minute into the first quarter following a rebound from Taiah Thornton, who brought the ball the length of the floor before dishing it to Briyanah Richardson for the easy layup.
- Saint Peter's would then go up 10-3 midway through the first period as a result of staunch defense and a pair of triples from Gabrielle Harris and Kendrea Williams. Heading into the game's first media break, the Peacocks maintained a 12-5 lead over the Jaspers.
- Saint Peter's would finish out the opening quarter on an 11-5 run, finishing with a nine-point advantage and leading Manhattan 25-16.
- The Peacocks would gain a 13-point lead at the beginning of the second quarter, forcing the Jaspers to go scoreless for nearly two minutes. Another key triple from Harris midway through the second stanza would up the Peacocks lead to 14, giving Saint Peter's a 34-20 lead.
- Saint Peter's would continue the offensive pressure, with a key triple from Briyanah Richardson coming with just over five minutes left in the half, bringing the score to 41-25. Both teams would struggle to score from 4:49 to 1:34 in the second quarter, until a layup from Manhattan's LaPointe broke the streak.
- A three-pointer from Thornton with less than 30 seconds remaining in the half would give the Peacocks a 44-30 lead heading into the locker room.
- Both teams came out flying in the second half, as a 6-2 run from the hosts cut the Peacocks' lead to 10 for the first time since the opening quarter.
- Solid scores from Zoe Pero and Wil'lisha Jackson would put the Peacocks back up by 16 with just under five minutes remaining in the third period, and the visitors would take a 13-point advantage (53-40) into the final frame.
- The Jaspers opened the final quarter with a 5-0 run to cut the Peacock lead to eight. A successful conversion from the line for Williams at the 6:57 mark would put Saint Peter's back up to nine entering the final stretch of the contest.
- But the Jaspers would go on a 12-3 run late in the quarter to eventually tie the score at 60-60. Successful free throws from Manhattan's Cajou would give the Jaspers their first lead of the game late, putting the Peacocks down by two with just over a minute remaining.
- The hosts would off of Saint Peter's from there on out to clinch the comeback decision.
Inside The Numbers:
- The Peacocks would finish the first half with an impressive 11 points from fastbreaks compared to two from the Jaspers.
- Thornton would finish the first quarter leading all scorers with nine points, and would finish the first half shooting 9-for-13 from the floor with 20 points.
- Saint Peter's held the advantage from beyond the arc in Saturday's game, going 9-for-25 over Manhattan's 7-for-26 from deep.
- A 27-point fourth quarter from the Jaspers would lift Manhattan over Saint Peter's, who scored 11 in the final 10 minutes of play.
Up Next:
- The Peacocks will have a four-day rest period before they host first-place Rider on Thursday, Feb. 6, in a 7 p.m. start at the Yanitelli Center.
