JERSEY CITY, N.J. - The Saint Peter's women's basketball team was defeated in a highly contested battle against the Merrimack Warriors 59-66 at Run Baby Run Arena on Thursday, Jan 22.
De'Naya Rippey continued to show her dominance and only added to what is already an incredible season in the Blue and White, with a new career high 25 points while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor. Another double digit performance that needs to be mentioned is by
Reilly Sunday with 11 points and leading the team with the most 3-pointers made.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER: The first points of the contest for the Peacocks came from a layup inside by
Eszter Turi and then
Louella Allana answered from the outside with a long triple. The Warriors answered with a pair of 3-pointers of their own, making the score 5-10 heading into the media timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Sunday responded with a corner triple.
Layla Laws joined in on the outside scoring with a triple before the shot clock expired. Sunday added another basket to the total with a pull up mid range jumper, heading to the buzzer with the Peacocks down 13-18.
SECOND QUARTER: The Warriors jumped out to an early run in the second quarter, scoring on a pair of baskets inside. Heading into a 13-22 deficit at the media timeout, Sunday fired a triple from the corner with the assist coming from a beautiful pass by Allana. A block from
Carys Roy and then the coast-to-coast finish by Rippey kept the Peacocks in the game with a 18-22 score halfway through the second. Rippey followed up with a long mid range jumper and then an and-1, followed up by another and-1 to take the lead 26-25. Rippey continued to attack the paint with another and-1, converting at the line to tie the game 30-30 as the first half expired.
THIRD QUARTER: Nikola Zdenkova started out the second half with a floater from the midrange to get the Peacocks started. Roy followed up with a jumper from just behind the free throw line to put the Peacocks within one score. Rippey kept the scoring coming for the Peacocks with a spinning layup inside to tie the game up at 36 heading into the media timeout. Zdenkova came out of the timeout with a long range triple following a 3-point basket by the Warriors. A made free throw by Sunday gave the Peacocks the lead and a jumper by Rippey only added to the lead. The Warriors in response went on an eight point run to take the lead back late. After two made free throws by Roy, the Peacocks entered the fourth quarter down, but not out with a 44-48 score at the buzzer.
FOURTH QUARTER: Sunday scored the first points in the fourth off a pair of free throws before Allana cashed in with a triple. Heading into the media timeout, the Peacocks were down 49-53 before Rippey scored four points by herself on a free throw and a three pointer. The Warriors stayed out in front with an eight point run until Allana ended the run on a drive inside and a basket at the rim. Rippey added one more and-1 to her total and converted on the free throw, before Zdenkova knocked down a free throw of her own to score the last point for the Peacocks in a heartbreaking defeat of 59-66.
UP NEXT: Saint Peter's will stay home on Saturday, Jan. 24 against Rider at 2 pm ET on Alumni Day.
