Nov. 19, 2006
Final Stats
VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Marist women's basketball team suffered a 69-64 loss in overtime to Villanova of the Big East Conference on Sunday. Red-shirt junior center Meg Dahlman (Spencerport, N.Y.) and Nikki Flores (Montvale, N.J.) scored 14 points apiece to lead the Red Foxes. The 14 points tied Flores' career high, which was initially set in last year's MAAC Championship game.
Junior guard Alexis Waters (Lansing, Mich.) scored the first two points of the game 20 seconds into the contest, but following a three-pointer by Villanova's Tia Grant on the ensuing possession, the Red Foxes did not lead the rest of regulation. The Wildcats scored the next 12 points following Waters' basket and held an eight-point halftime advantage.
The Red Foxes trailed by as much as 14 in the second half, as Villanova grabbed a 36-22 advantage on Siobhan O'Connor's jump shot at the 16:39 mark. However, Marist would go on a 16-4 run encompassing a span of 6:50 to tie the game at 44 apiece on a Dahlman basket.
The Wildcats held a 55-51 lead when junior guard Courtney Kolesar (Concord, Ohio) hit a three-pointer to pull the Red Foxes within one with 58 seconds remaining. The score remained that way until senior guard Alisa Kresge (Holmdel, N.J.) was fouled with 5.6 seconds remaining. Kresge's first free throw rattled out, but her second tied the game at 55 apiece as the game headed into overtime. The Red Foxes shot 56.5 percent (13-for-23) in the second half.
Marist scored first in overtime as Flores drained two free throws 16 seconds into the extra period. However, after Villanova's Jackie Adamshick hit two free throws of her own 19 seconds later, the Red Foxes would not see the lead again.
Adamshick had game highs in points and rebounds with 25 and 10, respectively. She shot 8-for-13 from the field and 9-for-10 from the line.
Marist freshman forward Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) gave the Red Foxes three scorers in double digits with 12 off the bench. Fitz shot 6-for-11 from the field, and 10 of her points came in the second half. Fitz also finished with a team-high five rebounds. Red-shirt sophomore guard Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) finished with seven points and tied her career high with seven assists.
The Red Foxes finished with just nine turnovers in the game, a season low. Villanova hit seven of its 15 three-point attempts and 16 of its 18 free-throw attempts.
Marist (1-2 overall) will return to action on Wednesday at 2 p.m. against Dartmouth at the McCann Center. The game will be the Red Foxes' fourth consecutive against a team which advanced to postseason play last year, as Dartmouth was the Ivy League's representative in the NCAA Tournament. Tickets are on sale now at GoRedFoxes.com, the McCann Center ticket office and by phone at (845) 575-3553.
