Feb. 22, 2009
Box Score
Press Conference
Highlights
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist women's basketball team clinched its sixth-straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular-season title on Sunday afternoon, defeating Siena 78-49 at the McCann Center. The Red Foxes are now 15-2 in the MAAC and 24-3 overall on the 2008-09 season. Junior forward Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) led Marist with 16 points and also had six rebounds.
Élise Caron (Quebec, Canada) and Lynzee Johnson (Bellbrook, Ohio) each had nine points in Sunday's win. Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio) had eight points and a team-high eight rebounds. Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and Brandy Gang (Hartville, Ohio) each scored six points. Viani had a game-high five assists and Gang pulled down six rebounds off the bench. Every Marist player that entered the game scored at least three points.
Siena (9-17, 8-9 MAAC) opened the game on an 8-2 run, getting three-pointers from Allie Lindemann and Merrick Volpe to take a six-point lead 2:38 into the game. Marist came back with a 10-2 run sparked by a Viani three-pointer and a Caron three-point play to take a 12-10 lead at the 13:55 mark of the opening half. The Red Foxes extended the lead to four at the 12:06 mark on a Kristine Best (Commack, N.Y.) triple.
After Heather Stec made two free throws to get the Saints within two, 18-16, with 11:29 to go in the half Fitz scored Marist's next six points to extend the lead to eight, 24-16, with 8:50 to go in the half. Sarah Fullmer pulled Siena to within five with a three-pointer at the 8:00 mark of the first half. Following that basket the Red Foxes ran off 11 straight points over the next 6:11 to take a 35-19 lead. Fitz scored six points during the run with Allenspach putting in a three and Johnson banking in a layup. Siena got a Serena Moore basket with 1:37 to go in the first half to get within 14 at halftime, 35-21.
Marist kept the lead at double-digits the rest of the way. Siena got as close as 12 points four times early in the second half, with a Volpe triple at the 11:21 mark making the score 47-35. Best answered Volpe's three with another one of her own which started a 9-0 run that put the Red Foxes ahead by 21, 56-35, with 9:16 to go in the game. Marist held the Saints to 25.8% from the field in the second half and 1-of-14 from the three-point line. A Maria Laterza (Brooklyn, N.Y.) three-point play helped start a 10-3 run that put Marist ahead by 30, 75-45, with 1:03 to go. Gang scored four points during the run.
Marist shot 62.5% from the field in the second half on its way to shooting 47.4% from the field for the game. The Red Foxes also shot 50% from the three-point line. Marist outrebounded Siena 46-28 and turned 20 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points. Cathy Cockrum led the Saints with 10 points. Volpe and Moore added eight points each.
The Red Foxes will close out the 2008-09 regular season at the McCann Center on Saturday, February 28 with a 7:30 p.m. game against the Rider Broncs. Senior guard Julianne Viani will be honored prior to the game for Senior Night.
