March 20, 2004
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The Marist College women's basketball team played its first-ever NCAA Tournament game at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe AZ, this evening, falling to the number three seed in the Midwest Region, 58-45. The number 14 seeded Red Foxes finished the 2003-04 season with a 20-11 record.
The Sooners (24-8) opened a game-high 20-point lead, 47-27, with 9:22 remaining in the game, and seemed to have put the Red Foxes away, but that was not to be. Marist scored the next 15 points in the game over the next 5:16 to close to within five points, 47-42 with 4:06 to play in the game. After a made free throw and a jumper with 3:07 to play by the Sooners, Megan Vetter hit a pair of free throws to make it a two-possession game, with 2:45 to play, 50-44. Oklahoma pulled away by making 4-4 from the free throw line in the final 1:57, and out scored Marist 8-1 in the final 2:45 of play.
Marist was solid defensively, forcing 21 Sooner turnovers.
The Red Foxes had an assist on 11 of their 15 field goals in the game.
Marist dominated the offensive boards, pulling in 12, while allowing Oklahoma just four offensive boards. The Sooners won the overall battle on the glass, 42-32.
Stephanie Del Preore paced the Marist effort with 12 points and six boards. Kerry Sullivan played 20 minutes off of the bench for the Red Foxes, scoring 10 points, including 7-10 from the free throw line.
Oklahoma was nearly perfect from the line, going 23-24 in the contest, including 12-13 in the second half. Marist went to the line 14 times, and connected 10 times.
The Red Foxes struggled at the start of both halves, as Oklahoma opened the first half 10-0, and a 12-0 run in the second half. Marist took 4:42 to score in the first half, scoring its first NCAA point on a Kristin Keller lay-up, with an assist from Maureen Magarity.
Alisa Kresge tied a career-high with four steals in the game, while dishing out three assists, and pulling down five boards. Vetter finished with seven points and four boards, while Magairty added six points.
The 2003-04 season was one of numerous firsts for the Red Foxes, as they earned their NCAA berth on the strength of winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament and Regular Season titles. It was Marist's first winning season in 11 years and was just the second 20-win season in program history.
