Jan. 9, 2009
Box Score
Press Conference
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The #25 Marist women's basketball team scored a season-high 98 points in a 98-51 win over Niagara at the McCann Center Friday night. The 98 points scored is the Red Foxes' highest total under Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and Brandy Gang (Hartville, Ohio) who each scored 16 points.
Gang's 16 points is a career-high, as was Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) added 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Fitz's 11 points now give her 1,484 points, surpassing Stacey Dengler for second all-time in Marist history. She is now 103 points behind Ursula Winter for Marist's all-time scoring mark. Freshmen Kristine Best (Commack, N.Y.) and Emily Stallings (Newburgh, N.Y.) each scored 10 points off the bench for career-highs.
Niagara (1-14, 0-4 MAAC) held its only lead of the game with 18:46 remaining in the first half as a Kristina Walton layup made the score 2-0. Marist responded with the 9-2 run, getting baskets from Gang, Viani, and an Élise Caron (Quebec, Canada) three to take a 9-4 lead with 15:52 left in the half. The Purple Eagles kept the game close early in the first half as a Liz Flooks three-pointer made the score 14-11 with 13:12 to go in the first half. After a Flooks jumper put Niagara within four, 17-13, with 11:34 left in the half, the Red Foxes ran off 13 straight points to go ahead 30-13 with 7:03 to go in the half. Two Viani threes capped the run. Marist took its largest lead of the half with three seconds left, as Fitz split a pair of free throws to give the Red Foxes a 41-23 halftime lead.
Marist (14-1, 5-0 MAAC) poured it on in the second half, shooting 53.1% from the field and 50% from behind the three-point line. A Viani three-point play with 14:38 left in the game sparked a 13-0 run that included triples from Gang and Best put the Red Foxes ahead by 33, 62-39. Marist put the lead over 40 with 5:37 to go with a Yarde three-pointer. The Red Foxes took their largest lead of the game on their last field goal of the game. Senior guard Courtney Kolesar (Concord, Ohio) put in a three with 21 seconds left to make the final score 98-51.
The Red Foxes shot 47.7% from the field on Friday night, holding Niagara to 32.8%. Marist also shot 48.1% from beyond the arc. The Red Foxes outrebounded the Purple Eagles 43-35 and scored 30 points in the paint. Flooks led Niagara with 14 points while Jennifer McNamee added 10 points.
Marist will go on the road on Sunday to take on Loyola in Baltimore, Md. Tipoff at Reitz Arena is at 2 p.m.
