Dec. 11, 2004

Final Stats

Poughkeepsie, NY - The Marist women's basketball team picked up a thrilling win over the University of Pennsylvania this evening at the McCann Center, 59-58. The Marist frontcourt duo of Kristin Keller (Poughkeepsie, NY) and Fifi Camara (Conakry, Guinea) got the job done again as each recorded a double-double in the win.

Penn got on the board early in the first off a layup by Cat Makarewich but Camara answered back with one of her own to put the Foxes on the board. The Quakers would pull ahead by as much as 9-6 on back-to-back buckets by Joey Rhoads. However, a Stephanie Youdath (Mentor, OH) jumper pulled the Red Foxes back into it. Marist then went on a 15-4 run during the next seven minutes to take a 26-15 lead. Keller spurred the Marist attack with eight points during the run, capped by an Alisa Kresge (Holmdel, NJ) trey. Penn pulled back into it with back-to-back threes to close the half, but Marist took a 32-21 lead into the break.

Both teams got off to slow starts in the second half, but Penn outshot the Foxes and pulled within five, 39-34 at 11:12 off a Monica Naltner jumper. Camara had back-to-back jumpers to pull the Foxes ahead by 10, but Penn seemed to have an answer for everything Marist put up. The Quakers would come as close as 48-44 with just under four minutes remaining in the half, forcing the Foxes to call a timeout. Marist senior Megan Vetter (Havertown, PA) came out on all cylinders in the closing minutes, draining two buckets and picking up two boards in less than one minute. Vetter's second jumper put the Foxes up 54-46 with 2:19 remaining. After Penn pulled within three following a Cat Makarewich trey, Marist junior Kristen Vilardi (Fishkill, NY) increased the Foxes lead with a three-pointer of her own, her first basket of the night. The two teams traded free-throws down the stretch and Monica Naltner brought the Quakers within one with a last second three, but Marist would hold on for the 59-58 win.

Keller finished the night with a career high 20 points and 14 rebounds, along with three assists and a block. Camara picked up 16 points and 11 boards in just 22 minutes for her third consecutive double-double. Vetter tallied all eight of her points in the second half, also grabbing three boards, while Youdath, a freshman, picked up eight points of her own along with a block and a steal in 18 minutes.

Naltner led all scorers with 17 points for the Quakers while Makarewich was a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc en route to 12 points. The Foxes forced 18 Penn turnovers while only making eight themselves.

Marist will be back in action here at the McCann Center on December 21 when it takes on SEC foe Georgia following the final exam break.