PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by offensive inefficiency, the Rutgers women’s basketball team grinded out a victory over Saint Peter’s on Sunday at a sparsely attended Louis Brown Center.

The Scarlet Knights methodically pulled away in the second half to secure a 57-39 win, improving their record to 7-2, while the visiting Peacocks fell to 1-5.

The game was never a high-scoring affair, but Rutgers established control from the opening tip. The Scarlet Knights opened the game on a 9-0 run, capped by an Imani Lester layup just 13 seconds into the contest after she secured the offensive rebound on a missed shot. Saint Peter’s struggled to find any offensive rhythm against the Rutgers defense, managing only a single field goal in the first quarter—a three-pointer from Layla Laws—and found themselves trailing 16-7 after the opening period.

The second quarter offered little relief for the Peacocks’ offense. While they managed to double their first-quarter output with 10 points, they continued to shoot poorly from the floor. Rutgers also cooled off, scoring only 10 points in the quarter, but maintained a comfortable 26-17 lead heading into halftime.

The third quarter saw Saint Peter’s mount its most consistent offensive effort of the afternoon. The Peacocks outscored the Scarlet Knights 15-13 in the period, cutting the deficit to as little as seven points. A three-pointer from Nikola Zdenkova and a mid-range jumper from De’Naya Rippey kept the pressure on Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights answered every small run to hold a 39-32 advantage heading into the final frame.

Any hope of a Saint Peter’s comeback was extinguished in the fourth quarter as the Scarlet Knights’ defense clamped down once more. Rutgers held the Peacocks to just seven points on 3-of-16 shooting in the final period while finally finding some offensive flow of their own. A key 8-0 run, punctuated by a three-pointer from Kaylah Ivey, stretched the lead to 48-32 with just over six minutes to play, effectively sealing the game. Rutgers closed the contest on a 9-2 run, with Lester providing the final points on a put-back jumper as time expired.

The statistical story of the game was one of profound offensive struggle for Saint Peter’s. The Peacocks shot a frigid 26.7 percent from the field, making only 12 of their 45 attempts. They were only slightly more successful from beyond the arc, hitting 4 of 20 three-pointers. Rutgers was not much more efficient from long range, matching Saint Peter’s with four three-pointers on 15 attempts, but the Scarlet Knights’ superior interior play was the difference. They shot 45.1 percent from the floor overall and dominated the glass, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points.

Individually, Rutgers was led by a balanced scoring attack. Imani Lester, a 6-foot-4 forward from Raleigh, North Carolina, and Nene Ndiaye, a 6-foot-1 guard from Saly, Senegal, each tallied 12 points. Lester added seven rebounds, while Ndiaye contributed five rebounds and two assists. Kaylah Ivey of Forestville, Maryland, also chipped in 12 points, and Zachara Perkins of Houston, Texas, filled the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds, and four assists in 37 minutes of action.

For Saint Peter’s, De’Naya Rippey of Brooklyn, New York, was the only player to reach double figures, finishing with 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Carys Roy of Cowbridge, Germany, was a force on the boards with seven rebounds to go with five points. Louella Allana of Laval, Canada, dished out three assists for the Peacocks.

The game was part of a challenging early-season schedule for Saint Peter’s, which has faced a gauntlet of regional opponents. Rutgers, meanwhile, continues a homestand that has seen them succeed, with the win marking their second in a row following a victory over Northeastern this past Friday. The Scarlet Knights will now prepare for a significant uptick in competition, with a matchup against Iowa looming next Saturday. Saint Peter’s will look to regroup when it returns home to host Army on Wednesday.