Dec. 2, 2006
Final Stats
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Red-shirt sophomore guard Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) scored a season-high 13 points and hauled in a career-high seven rebounds, as the Marist women's basketball team earned a 57-38 triumph over Bucknell on Saturday for its fourth straight victory.
Viani hit three three-pointers, giving her eight in her last three games. She added three assists and three steals.
Freshman forward Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) and red-shirt junior center Meg Dahlman (Spencerport, N.Y.) tied for the team high in scoring with 15 points apiece. Both players also had six rebounds.
Senior point guard Alisa Kresge (Holmdel, N.J.) finished with three points, seven assists, seven rebounds and four steals. Kresge set season highs with her rebound and steal totals, and had zero turnovers in the contest. It was the 49th multi-steal game of her career.
Bucknell scored the first two points of the game on two free throws by Kesha Champion. However, the Red Foxes responded by scoring the next 10 points, and expanded their lead to 16-3 as Bucknell missed its first 13 shots from the field. The Bison never got closer than seven points the rest of the game, and the Red Foxes took a 30-15 halftime lead.
The Bison scored the first five points of the second half, but Marist answered with threes from Viani on back-to-back possessions. With 5:15 to play, two free throws by Bucknell's Lindsey Hollobaugh cut the Marist lead to 45-38. From there, the Red Foxes closed the game with a 12-0 run, with Dahlman scoring eight points in that span.
Marist shot 41.5 percent from the game, becoming just the second team to shoot better than 40 percent from the field in Bucknell's nine games this season. The Red Foxes had just 10 turnovers. Bucknell shot 26.9 percent from the field and 2-for-13 from three-point range. No Bucknell player scored in double digits, marking the first time since a Jan. 29, 2006 win at Manhattan that the Marist defense did not allow a double-digit scorer.
The win enabled the Red Foxes to tie their best start in school history after seven games at 5-2. Marist will return to action on Friday at 5 p.m., as the Red Foxes will host Loyola in their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener. The contest is part of a doubleheader with the men's team, which will host Canisius in the second game. Season, single-game and group tickets are on sale now at GoRedFoxes.com and the McCann Center ticket office. Other ticket inquiries may be directed to 845-575-3553. All Marist faculty and staff receive a 20% discount on men's and women's basketball season tickets!
