Feb. 5, 2006

Final Stats

Bridgeport, Conn. - An even scoring output resulted in a 59-48 victory for the Marist women's basketball team over Fairfield this afternoon. The Red Foxes have won their last four games and improved to 16-5/11-1 MAAC while the Stags dropped to 9-12/5-7 MAAC. Meg Dahlman (Spencerport, N.Y.) led Marist again with 16 points while Alisa Kresge (Holmdel, N.J.) had a well-rounded game with eight rebounds, seven points, four assists and three steals.

Fairfield scored the first four points of the game on back-to-back layups before Marist answered with an 11-2 run with three players scoring. Fairfield caught up and the score was knotted at 13-13 at 11:41. Both teams' offenses slowed down and the Red Foxes went on a slow 6-0 run to take a 19-13 advantage at 6:18. Both squads traded buckets and Farfield's Ivana Podrug hit a late jumper to take it to 27-24, Marist at the half.

It was more of the same in the second half, as the feisty Stags had an answer for everything that the Foxes put up. Marist went on a timely 7-0 run capped by a Kristen Vilardi (Fishkill, N.Y.) three to go up 51-39 at 8:32. The Red Foxes took control, slowing down the pace of the game on offense. Fifi Camara (Conakry, Guinea) brought Marist to 55-41 with under six minutes remaining. Marist went up by as many as 15 points after a Sarah Smrdel (Mentor, Ohio) three-point play and would hold on to win 59-48.

Seven different Red Foxes had at least four points, with even spread scoring proving a difference maker. Dahlman led all scorers with her 16 points while Camara finished with 12 points, five rebounds. Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and Smrdel each chipped in seven points.

The Red Foxes shot 42% from the field and had just 11 turnovers while forcing 23 by the Stags. Marist was outrebounded 37-26 but had 12 steals to Fairfield's six. Fairfield's Baendu Lowenthal and Sabra Wrice had 14 and 13 points, respectively, but combined for 13 turnovers.

The Red Foxes have some time off before hosting Manhattan on Saturday February 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the McCann Center.