Feb. 19, 2009
Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Marist women's basketball team made 11-of-19 three-pointers and 24-of-25 free throws on its way to a 91-82 win at Manhattan on Thursday night. The win gives the Red Foxes at least a share of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular-season title, Marist's sixth straight. Junior forward Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) led Marist with 24 points, making 8-of-11 shots from the field and all eight of her free throws.
Lynzee Johnson (Bellbrook, Ohio) scored a career-high 17 points off the bench and tied a career-high with four made three-pointers. She also had three assists and a career-high four steals. Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio) had 16 points and a team-high six rebounds. Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) had 14 points and tied a career-high with nine assists, making no turnovers.
Marist (24-3, 14-2 MAAC) opened the game on a quick 5-0 run with Fitz putting in a pair of free throws and a three-point play. Allenspach then added a pair of three-pointers to put the Red Foxes ahead 11-4 with 17:24 left in the first half. After Maria Laterza (Brooklyn, N.Y.) put in two free throws to make the score 13-4, Alyssa Herrington and Lindsay Loutsenhizer hit back-to-back triples to get within three, 13-10 with 16:21 to go in the half. Marist got the lead up to twelve, 22-12, on a 9-2 run that included an Élise Caron (Quebec, Canada) three-pointer and four points from Brandy Gang (Hartville, Ohio).
After a Johnson three-pointer put Marist ahead by 11, 25-14, Manhattan went on a 7-0 run over 1:26 to make the score 25-21. The Lady Jaspers cut the lead to 2, 27-25, on a Kerri White three at the 10:11 mark of the first half. Marist quickly put the lead back up to five, 30-25, with a Viani three-pointer. Manhattan answered with two baskets from Regan and an Annie McIntyre jumper to get within one, 32-31, with 7:58 to go in the half. The Red Foxes came back with a 7-0 run sparked by a Johnson triple to take a 39-31 lead with 5:46 left in the first. Marist took its largest lead of the first half at the 2:01 mark when a Fitz layup put the Red Foxes ahead 50-37. Marist led at the half 52-40 after shooting 60.7% from the field, making 7-of-8 three-pointers, and all 11 free throws.
Manhattan (9-18, 6-10 MAAC) opened the second half on a 14-7 run over the first 4:52, getting baskets from Regan, McIntyre, Herrington, and Loutsenhizer to make the score 59-54. An Allenspach three-pointer kickstarted a 10-3 run to put the Red Foxes ahead 69-57 with 12:55 to go. A Fitz three-point play capped the run. After an Abby Wentworth layup made the score 69-59, Corielle Yarde (Leesport, Pa.) scored five straight points to give Marist a 15-point lead, 74-59 with 10:09 left to play. The Red Foxes kept the lead at 15 with Johnson's fourth three-pointer of the game at the 7:21 mark to make the score 79-64. The Lady Jaspers made one last run, going on a 10-3 run to get within seven, 82-75, with 1:59 to go but that was as close as Manhattan would get.
The Red Foxes shot 52.8% from the field Thursday night while Manhattan shot 48.4%. Marist shot 57.9% from beyond the arc and the Lady Jaspers shot 52%. Manhattan outrebounded the Red Foxes 32-27 and scored 22 second-chance points on 14 offensive rebounds. Marist had 21 assists to only 10 turnovers. Regan led Manhattan with 29 points and eight rebounds.
Marist returns home on Sunday afternoon to take on the Siena Saints at 2 p.m. Moises Arias, who plays Rico on the Disney Channel's hit show "Hannah Montana", will host a question and answer session during halftime and will also be available for autographs after the game. The first 250 fans ages 12 and under will receive a free Marist/Radio Disney T-shirt. Tickets for Sunday's game and all Marist basketball games can be purchased at the McCann Center Ticket Office Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or online at GoRedFoxes.com.
