SANBORN, N.Y. (Interstat) — De’Naya Rippey scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Saint Peter’s to an 81-72 victory over Niagara in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Sunday at Gallagher Center.

The Peacocks, who never trailed, improved to 3-8 overall. The Purple Eagles dropped to 0-11.

Rippey, a 5-foot-10 guard from Brooklyn, New York, added six assists in 35 minutes, spearheading a Saint Peter’s offense that operated with efficiency despite committing 17 turnovers. She shot 7 of 13 from the field and 10 of 14 from the free-throw line. Her performance built upon a 29-minute, eight-point outing in a win at Canisius two days prior.

The most critical stretch of the game came in the third quarter. After a high-scoring first half that saw Saint Peter’s take a 43-40 lead into the break, the Peacocks’ defense clamped down. They held Niagara to just 10 points in the period on 4-of-20 shooting, forcing seven Purple Eagles turnovers. Saint Peter’s, meanwhile, maintained its offensive flow, scoring 16 points to extend its lead to 59-50 heading into the final quarter.

Niagara’s offensive struggles were epitomized by a scoring drought of over four minutes early in the third, allowing Saint Peter’s to push a three-point halftime advantage to nine. The Peacocks’ interior defense, led by Eszter Turi’s five blocks and Carys Roy’s four, altered numerous Niagara attempts and limited easy baskets during the decisive run.

Turi, a 6-1 freshman from Budapest, Hungary, provided a major spark off the bench with 13 points, five rebounds and those five blocks in just 19 minutes. Reilly Sunday added 13 points for the Peacocks, while Nikola Zdenkova chipped in 12.

Niagara was led by Talia Dial’s 20 points, including four 3-pointers. Jade Rutledge scored 13 and Caliana Fenceroy added 12. The Purple Eagles shot just 38% from the field and were plagued by a disastrous 7-of-22 performance from the free-throw line, missing several front ends of one-and-one opportunities.

Despite being outrebounded 23-12 on the offensive glass, Saint Peter’s won the game with superior shooting accuracy. The Peacocks shot 50% from the field compared to Niagara’s 38%, and made 19 of 27 free throws. Saint Peter’s also recorded 11 steals and 10 blocks as a team, translating defense into offense with a 109.7 offensive rating on 74 possessions.

Niagara’s Katarina Veljovic, a 5-11 forward from Toronto, pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds to go with nine points.

The game was a matchup of teams seeking their first conference win, though national statistical projections slightly favored Saint Peter’s. The Peacocks delivered by controlling the tempo after halftime and relying on Rippey’s all-around play to secure the road victory.

Saint Peter’s returns to action Dec. 29 at home against Quinnipiac. Niagara’s next game is Jan. 1 at Sacred Heart.

Attendance was 152 at the 1,200-seat Gallagher Center.