March 7, 2009
Box Score |
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ALBANY, N.Y. - The Marist women's basketball team shot 59.1% from the field in the first half to take a 12-point halftime lead over Iona and hung on for a 76-69 win in the MAAC Tournament semifinals at the Times Union Center Saturday afternoon. The Red Foxes will play in their sixth-straight MAAC Championship game Sunday at noon against second-seeded Canisius. Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) led all players with 29 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.
Fitz made 9-of-14 shots from the field and 11-of-12 free throws. Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) had 19 points and four assists, going 7-for-8 at the free throw line. Lynzee Johnson (Bellbrook, Ohio) had 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Johnson made a game-high four three-pointers. Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio) set a new career-high with eight assists.
The two teams traded baskets early in the game, playing to a 7-7 tie 3:29 into the game. Iona then got jumpers from Thazina Cook and Naeemah Ricketts to take an 11-7 lead. The Red Foxes came back with a 10-2 run, capped by a Johnson three-pointer, to go ahead 17-13 with 12:11 to go in the first half. After Kristina Ford put Iona within two, Marist went on an 8-0 run over 1:52 to go ahead 25-15 with 10:00 to go in the half. Iona got within four with 8:23 to go in the first half on a Ricketts layup, making the score 25-21. Marist then put the lead up to 12, 33-21, on three-pointers from Johnson and Viani and a Fitz layup. The Red Foxes took a 44-32 lead at halftime.
Marist (28-3) got its lead up to 14 early in the second half as a Viani basket made the score 54-40 with 14:06 to go in the game. That field goal would be the Red Foxes' last until the 6:18 mark of the second half. During this 7:48 stretch, Iona (18-13) cut Marist's lead in half as a Ricketts layup made the score 60-53 with 7:15 left in the game. Fitz ended Marist's field goal drought with a layup, followed by a pair of free throws to put the Red Foxes ahead 64-53 with 5:45 to go. Iona got to within six points twice in the last five minutes but Marist got key baskets from Fitz and Brandy Gang (Hartville, Ohio) to keep the Gaels from getting back into the game.
The Red Foxes ended up shooting 46% from the field and 84.6% from the free throw line, making 22-of-26 attempts. Iona shot 37.7% from the field. Marist outrebounded Iona 36-33 but committed 20 turnovers. Cook and Ricketts each scored 18 points and had six rebounds to lead Iona.
Sunday's MAAC Championship game will be televised on MSG beginning at noon. The Marist Athletics Department will be running Fan Busses to tomorrow's MAAC Women's Basketball Championship game against Canisius at the Times Union Center in Albany. The cost is $30 and includes a ticket to the game in the Marist section. The bus will depart from the McCann Center at 9:30 a.m. Fans can sign up online at GoRedFoxes.com in the Tickets Section.
