Jan. 11, 2010

Box Score

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - Led by 30 points from sophomore guard Corielle Yarde (Leesport, Pa.), the Marist women's basketball team won its eighth straight game Monday night by defeating the Rider Broncs at Alumni Gymnasium 72-62. The Red Foxes led by two at halftime and shot 56% from the field in the second half, pulling away late for the 10-point win.

Yarde was 9-for-17 from the field and 9-of-11 at the free throw line. She also added five rebounds and two steals. Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) had 21 points and a team-high eight rebounds. The only other Marist player to score in double-figures was point guard Kristine Best (Commack, N.Y.), who had 12 points, two assists, and two steals.

The two teams traded baskets early, with Marist (12-4, 4-0 MAAC) taking the first substantial lead of the game. With the game tied at 4-4, Fitz made a pair of free throws to spark a 5-1 run to give the Red Foxes a 9-5 lead with 13:37 to go in the half. A Best three capped the run. Rider (2-13, 0-4 MAAC) took its first lead of the game at the 12:36 mark, as a Cintella Spotwood three-pointer gave the Broncs a 10-9 lead. The two teams traded the lead up until the 7:20 mark. Dior Brown made a jumper to give Rider a 17-16 lead, and a Sarah Homan layup put the Broncs ahead by three, 19-16, with 5:41 left in the first.

Yarde then hit a three with 5:29 to go in the first to tie the game at 19-19. After a Spotwood three gave Rider a 22-20 lead with 4:39 to go in the half, a Kate Oliver (Sydney, Australia) jumper in the lane sparked a 7-3 run for Marist to end the half. A Yarde three put the Red Foxes a 27-22 lead with 40 seconds left in the half. Amanda Sepulveda cut Marist's lead to two, 27-25, at halftime with a triple at the end of the half.

Marist grew the lead to six early in the second half, as a Fitz layup sparked a 7-0 run for the Red Foxes, taking a 37-31 lead with 15:35 to go in the game. Rider came back with threes from Spotwood and Shereen Lightbourne to tie the game at 37-37 with 14:35 to go. With the game tied at 43-43, Best put the Red Foxes ahead with a jump shot at the 10:02 mark. The Broncs then got a Caitlin Bopp free throw and a Brown jumper to take a 46-45 lead with 9:03 to go. Marist then got back-to-back baskets by Yarde and Fitz, taking a 49-46 lead with 8:10 left to play.

After Rider tied the game at 51-51 with 7:17 to play, Marist went on an 8-2 run highlighted by three-point plays by Yarde and Fitz to go ahead 59-51 with 5:36 to go. The Broncs cut the lead to two on a pair of Homan free throws with 3:29 to go in the game, but a Best basket and a Yarde three-point play got the lead back up to seven, 66-59, with 56 seconds left.

The Red Foxes shot 44.2% from the field in the game, but only 30.8% from beyond the arc. Rider shot 31.7% from the field and 80% at the free throw line. The Broncs also outrebounded Marist 40-37. Sepulveda led Rider with 16 points and eight assists. Spotwood added 15 points.

Marist continues its three-game road trip Saturday afternoon at Saint Peter's. Tip-off at the Yanitelli Center is at 2 p.m.