Jersey City – The Saint Peter’s College Women’s Basketball Team (2-0) hosted the Holy Cross Crusaders (1-1) on Sunday afternoon. The Peahens defeated the Crusaders 67-55. The Peahens started off their season 2-0 for the first time since the 2000-01 season. Junior Lauma Reke and freshman Natasha Morris led the Peahens with 15 points each. Morris earned her first career double-double with ten rebounds.
The Peahens took an early ten point lead going up 14 – 4 early in the first half. Holy Cross had the size advantage but the scrappy play of the Peahen guards and the tenacious help-defense held the Crusaders at bay. The Peahens stretched their lead to 16 points at one point and kept a ten point cushion throughout. Saint Peter’s took a 41-26 lead into halftime.
Reke led all scorers at the half with 12 points while fellow Peahen sophomore Tania Kennedy added seven. Morris had six points and six rebounds and four assists in the first half while junior Johnell Burts had four steals to energize the up-tempo offense of Saint Peter’s. The Peahens shot an astounding 60 percent from the field and an impressive 62 percent from behind the arch.
SPC came out firing in the second half adding six to their lead 47-26 before the Crusaders’ first score in the second. Holy Cross relied on their post players to create mismatches to get them back into the ball game but they could only close the gap to ten points. The Peahens continued to put points on the board with their penetration and by finding shooters on the outside. SPC hit two key three-pointers late in the half to put the game out of reach. The Crusaders made one last effort by applying full-court pressure but the Peahens beat the heat and upended Holy Cross 67-55 for their second straight win of their young season.
Reke and Morris led the Peahens with 15 points each. Morris had a double-double with 10 rebounds to go along with her 15 points. Burts led the team in assists with 10 and steals with five. As a team, SPC shot 66% from the field and 69% from beyond the arch. SPC out-rebounded Holy Cross 37-35 despite the size advantage.
Kaitlyn Foley’s double-double led the Crusaders with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Laura Aloisi finished with nine points, seven steals and five steals for Holy Cross.
The Peahens will travel to Rhode Island on Wednesday, November 15 at 7 p.m. to play a Big East opponent, the Providence College Friars.
Saint Peter’s College is the Jesuit College of New Jersey. Founded in 1872, Saint Peter’s has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located in Jersey City. The College has a branch campus for adults in Englewood Cliffs and also offers courses at various corporate sites at the Jersey City waterfront and in South Amboy.
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