JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Interstat) — The Fairleigh Dickinson women’s basketball team used a dominant defensive performance and a balanced scoring attack to secure a 57-34 road victory over Saint Peter’s on Wednesday night at Yanitelli Center.

The Knights, who improved to 7-3, held the Peacocks to historically poor shooting, as Saint Peter’s managed just 12 field goals on 50 attempts, a 24% clip. The Peacocks’ offensive rating of 55.6 points per 100 possessions underscored a night of profound struggle, as they fell to 1-8.

The game’s decisive stretch came late in the first quarter. After Saint Peter’s guard De’Naya Rippey scored the game’s first six points to give the Peacocks an early lead, Fairleigh Dickinson responded with a 13-0 run to close the period. The surge was fueled by perimeter shooting and stifling defense. Madlena Gerke of Fairleigh Dickinson connected on a 3-pointer at the 5:40 mark to tie the game, and after a steal by Kailee McDonald, the Knights took their first lead on a 3-pointer from McDonald with 3:49 remaining. Ava Renninger then capped the quarter with another 3-pointer, giving the Knights a 13-8 lead and momentum they would never relinquish.

Saint Peter’s never recovered from that closing burst. The Peacocks committed 13 turnovers, which Fairleigh Dickinson converted into 18 points, while the Knights gave the ball away only seven times. The Knights also outscored the Peacocks 20-14 in the paint and held a significant advantage from beyond the arc, hitting eight 3-pointers to Saint Peter’s three.

Ava Renninger led all scorers with 15 points for Fairleigh Dickinson, adding five assists, a block and three defensive rebounds in 36 minutes. Kailee McDonald contributed 12 points, while Rebecca Osei-Owusu added 10 points and six rebounds. Madlena Gerke orchestrated the offense with a game-high five assists to go with five points.

For Saint Peter’s, De’Naya Rippey was the lone bright spot, scoring 13 points, though she needed 13 shot attempts to do so. No other Peacock player scored more than five points. The team’s 7-for-15 performance from the free-throw line further hampered any chance of a comeback.

Fairleigh Dickinson methodically extended its lead throughout the game, holding Saint Peter’s to single-digit scoring in three of the four quarters. The Knights led 28-19 at halftime and 46-27 after three quarters, allowing them to cruise through the final period in front of an announced crowd of 235.

The victory extends Fairleigh Dickinson’s winning streak to three games following earlier non-conference wins over Lafayette and Monmouth. Saint Peter’s has now lost four consecutive games, having been held under 40 points in three of those defeats.

Fairleigh Dickinson next hosts Ursinus on Dec. 20. Saint Peter’s begins a two-game road trip at Canisius on Dec. 19.