Nov. 10, 2006

Final Stats |  Quotes

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Junior forward Sarah Smrdel (Mentor, Ohio) scored a career-high 24 points as the Marist women's basketball team prevailed in its season opener, earning an 82-72 win over Stony Brook at the McCann Center on Friday.

Smrdel hit 10 of her 17 field-goal attempts, drained her only three-point attempt of the night, and was 3-for-5 from the free-throw line. She also led the Red Foxes in rebounds (seven) and blocked shots (two, tying a career high).

Playing in her first collegiate game, forward Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) came off the bench to score 17 points - all in the second half - in just 14 minutes of action. Fitz did not miss a shot all night, converting all six of her field-goal attempts and all five of her free-throw attempts. She also hauled in six rebounds.

Senior point guard Alisa Kresge (Holmdel, N.J.) finished with 10 assists, five rebounds and five points. It was the sixth time the two-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Year registered 10 assists in a game, and the Red Foxes improved to 11-1 all-time when Kresge records at least eight assists in a game.

Marist finished with four double-digit scorers on the evening. Joining Smrdel and Fitz in that department were junior guard Nikki Flores (Montvale, N.J.), who started for an injured Julianne Viani and scored 11. Flores hit all three of her three-point attempts. Red-shirt junior center Meg Dahlman (Spencerport, N.Y.), a preseason First Team All-MAAC selection, also added 11. Courtney Kolesar (Concord, Ohio) scored eight off the bench in a career-high 21 minutes.

Marist led by 11 points at halftime before the Seawolves methodically cut into the Red Foxes' lead. Stony Brook trailed by as little as two at 56-54 with 9:07 remaining following a layup from senior forward Jessica Smith. Marist, however, closed out the game on a 16-9 run over the final 4:23. Fitz and Smrdel scored six points apiece in that run.

The Red Foxes shot 50.9 percent for the game and hit 20 of their 27 free throws, including 16 of 19 in the second half.

For Stony Brook, the aforementioned Smith led the Seawolves with 23 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Senior guard Mykeema Ford added 14 points, six assists and four steals.

The 82-point output tied the largest total the Red Foxes scored in the 2005-06 season. That came in Marist's 82-54 victory over Fairfield at the McCann Center on Feb. 23 - the last game the Red Foxes had played at home prior to tonight.

Marist will return to action next Friday at 7 p.m. against #6/#6 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The meeting will be the first between the Red Foxes and Blue Devils.