Nov. 18, 2005

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Poughkeepsie, N.Y. - Betsy McManus scored 13 second half points to lead Big East power Villanova to a 64-60 win over Marist at the McCann Center this evening. The Red Foxes led 29-20 at halftime and was ahead by as many as 11 points in the second half, but late free throws provided the edge the Wildcats needed for the win. Redshirt sophomore Meg Dahlman (Spencerport, N.Y.) was Marist's high-scored with 17 points in just 22 minutes of work.

Villanova started the game strong, taking an early 4-0 lead over the Foxes. However, Marist answered with an 8-2 run including a three-point play by Dahlman. After Villanova tied the game at 8-8, Marist went on a big 13-3 run to take a 21-11 lead at the 7:46 mark. Junior Kristin Hein (Howell, N.J.) scored five points for Marist during that period.

Each time the Wildcats would tack some points onto the board, the Red Foxes answered, extending their lead to 29-20 at the break. Senior Kristen Vilardi (Fishkill, N.Y.) had a big three-point play to close out scoring for the half

Marist opened up scoring in the second half, with a Fifi Camara (Conakry, Guinea) layup to take a 31-20 lead, its largest of the game. Villanova answered with five straight but Marist kept a comfortable lead with buckets from Camara and Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.). With Marist up 36-30, McManus hit a timely three to pull her team within a possession at 14:32.

Another three from Hein followed by a Dahlman jumper gave Marist a 43-35 lead at 12:06 in the second, but Villanova soon got to work from downtown. Stacie Witman hit back-to-back threes to give her squad its first lead of the half, 44-43 at 8:59.

Every chance Marist had to regain the lead or tie it, Villanova would answer back, with McManus and Liad Suez leading the charge. Dahlman hit a layup at 2:54 to put Marist ahead 56-55, for its last lead of the game. McManus scored seven straight points in the last minute and a half to edge her squad past the home team.

Marist's Camara and Viani tallied 12 and 10 points, respectively. Sophmore Sarah Smrdel (Mentor, Ohio) was a gem off the bench for Marist, leading the team with eight rebounds while tallying eight points in 18 minutes, all career highs. Hein had two career-highs of her own with eight points in 20 minutes of action.

Liad Suez led the Wildcats with 18 points while McManus tallied all of her 13 points, three steals and two assists in the second half. Lisa Karcic added nine points off the bench for Villanova.

Coming into the game, Marist was on a 24-0 winning streak when it had three or more players in double figures (dating back to Dec. 7, 2003). That streak ended this evening.

Marist has played two Big East squads so far this season and falls to 0-2 overall while Villanova improves to 1-0.

The Red Foxes will be back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 22 when they travel to Durham, N.H. to take on the University of New Hampshire Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. Last season, Marist held UNH to just 34 points, the lowest total ever by a Division I opponent at the McCann Center.