Feb. 5, 2005

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Poughkeepsie, NY - A career-high 21 points on 9-11 shooting from senior Megan Vetter (Havertown, PA) pushed the Marist women's basketball team past MAAC foe Fairfield tonight, 71-50. The Red Foxes held a commanding 40-14 lead at half paced by senior Kristin Keller's (Poughkeepsie, NY) 17 first-half points. Eight different Marist players scored and 12 had a rebound as the Foxes held out to win by 21 in front of 1892 fans.

Marist jumped out to an early 15-4 lead in the first five minutes of the game sparked by back-back threes from Keller before Janelle McManus got Fairfield back on the board with a jumper at 13:45. Cathy Dash scored five-straight points to pull her team within six, 19-13 at 9:11 before Keller's third trey of the night started a 17-0 Marist run that would last for six minutes. Stephanie Cziria hit a free-throw at 3:08 to take the score to 36-14 Marist. Marist took a 40-14 lead into the locker room having held the Stags without a field goal for the last nine minutes of the half.

Fifi Camara (Conakry, Guinea) started the scoring in the second for Marist with a jumper at 19:02. Fairfield's scoring 13-minute field-goal continued until the 16:19 mark, when Sabra Wrice put her team on the board. That would jump-start Fairfield's offense, but the Red Foxes continued to keep pressuring the Stags. A layup from freshman Sarah Smrdel (Mentor, OH) followed by five-straight points from classmate Nikki Flores (Montvale, NJ) put Marist up 62-30 at 9:02. Marist would not score again for the next four minutes while the Stags picked up seven-straight. Senior Laura Whitney (Southampton, PA) hit a long-range two to get the Red Foxes back on the board with a 64-37 lead at 5:35.

A Vetter three at 5:04 put Marist up 67-37 and the Red Foxes would not score again until Camara and Flores hit late free-throws to pull Marist to 71 points, its highest output of the season. Fairfield netted 11 points down the stretch as every Marist player saw action in the closing minutes.

Vetter and Keller would finish the day a combined 18-27 from the field, with each recording 21 points. Vetter added four assists to her tally while Keller had her second double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds along with two blocks and two steals. Camara's 11 points extended the Red Foxes streak to 22-0 when three or more players score in double-figures. Dash led the Stags with 14 points and eight rebounds while Candice Lindsay poured in 12.

The Red Foxes return to action on Thursday when they travel to MAAC rival Siena for a 6:00 p.m. tip at the Pepsi Arena.