Feb. 29, 2004

Box Score

New Rochelle, NY -- The Marist College women's basketball team earned a share of its first-ever Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Regular Season Title, with a 66-61 road win over Iona. The Red Foxes finish the regular season at 17-10 overall and 13-5 in MAAC play, tied with Siena College.

Marist trailed 31-24 at the intermission, after being down by as many as 12 points, 22-10 (8:29), but shot 52 percent from the field to rally from behind for the win. Marist opened the second half on a 9-1 run, taking a 33-32 lead with 17:22 remaining in the game and expanded the lead to fourp oints, holding a 40-36 edge with 13:11 to play. Iona rallied fom there, scoring the next five points to take the lead 41-40, their last lead of the game.

Marist received back-to-back layups from Stephanie DelPreore in the next two possesions to take a 44-41 lead, and a free throw gave the Red Foxes a four-point edge with 11:33 to play. Iona would tie the game at 10:51, 45-45, and then the teams would exchange two-point baskets on the next possesion and a pair of three-pointers on the ensuing possesions, to make the scored 50-50 with 8:26 to play. Shannon Minter drained a three-pointer 20 seconds later to give Marist the lead for good and cue a 10-2 run to blow the game open. Iona would close to within three points twice in the final 40 seconds, but Marist hit four free-throws to open the 66-61 lead with 18 seconds remaining.

DelPreore led the Red Foxes with 16 points on 6-9 shooting from the floor. Minter also enjyed a solid day, as she scored 10 points in the win. Kerry Sullivan came off of the benc to add 13 points and Maureen Magarity had 10 points for the Red Foxes.

Iona shot 52.4 percent in the first half of play and led by double-digits on numerous occasions. Marist then held the Gaels to just 36.7 percent from the field in the second half to earn the win.