Feb. 9, 2007
Final Stats |
Press Conference (Courtesy: MCTV)
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Behind 22 points and 10 rebounds from freshman forward Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio), the Marist women's basketball team earned a 66-50 victory over Canisius on Friday in front of a season-high 2,229 fans at the McCann Center. The win, which was Marist's 11th straight, improved the Red Foxes' record to 20-4 overall and gave the program its fourth consecutive 20-win season. Marist also ran its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record to 13-0.
Junior guard Nikki Flores (Montvale, N.J.) finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. Flores set a career high with her rebounding total, and tied her season high in assists. Senior point guard Alisa Kresge (Holmdel, N.J.) scored a career-high 11 points to go along with six rebounds, two assists and a steal.
A jumper by Fitz with 13:28 left in the first half put the Red Foxes up 10-8, and they did not relinquish the lead after that. The basket also started Marist on a 14-2 run over the span of 3:56. Fitz, who scored 12 of Marist's first 22 points in the game, scored eight during that run.
At this point, Marist held a 22-10 lead. However, the Golden Griffins answered by going on a 9-0 run and holding the Red Foxes scoreless for 4:31. The Red Foxes broke the drought on a three-point play by Flores, and outscored Canisius 11-5 over the final 5:01 of the first half to take a 35-24 halftime lead.
Canisius would draw no closer than 11 in the second half, and the Red Foxes ended up leading by as much as 23. Marist held Canisius to 30.8 percent (16-for-52) shooting from the field for the game, and just 28.0 percent (7-for-25) shooting in the second half.
For the game, Marist shot 42.9 percent (24-for-56) from the field. The Red Foxes outrebounded the Golden Griffins by a 42-33 margin, marking the 26th consecutive game Marist has won when having as many or more rebounds than the opposition. Marist has also held all 11 opponents in its current winning streak under 60 points, and has won 53 consecutive games when holding the opposition under 60.
Fitz, who has won a record nine MAAC Rookie of the Week awards this season, had her fourth double-double of the season, all of which have come in the last eight games. It also marked the fourth time this season Fitz has topped the 20-point plateau in a game.
Abby Radunske led Canisius (12-12 overall, 4-9 MAAC) with 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field and 6-for-6 shooting from the free-throw line. Radunske also hit the only three-pointer she took, and led the Golden Griffins with seven rebounds. Marist held Megan Lyte - Canisius' leading scorer and rebounder, who had 11 points and 15 rebounds in the teams' first meeting on Jan. 12 - to two points and two rebounds.
Marist will return to action at Siena on Sunday at 2 p.m. One more victory for the Red Foxes will give them at least a share of the MAAC regular-season title for the fourth consecutive season.
