Jan. 18, 2010
Box Score | Highlights - Credit: Cable 6
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. - Led by a career-high 26 points by junior guard Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio), the Marist women's basketball team won its tenth straight game of the season on Monday, defeating Siena at UHY Court at the ARC 71-58. This is the sixth straight season that the Red Foxes have won at least 10 games in a row. Marist has also won its last 22 conference road games.
Allenspach scored 19 of her points in the second half, finishing the game 6-of-14 from the field and 10-of-12 from the free throw line. Freshman Kate Oliver (Sydney, Australia) scored a career-high 15 points, making 7-of-8 shots from the field and had six rebounds. Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) had 11 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high four steals.
Marist's (14-4, 6-0 MAAC) frontcourt dominated the game from the outset, as Fitz and Oliver traded jump shots to give the Red Foxes an 8-0 lead with 16:22 left in the first. The Red Foxes held the Saints without a field goal for the first six minutes of the game, as an Allenspach three gave Marist an 11-2 lead. Siena (5-10, 3-3 MAAC) got their first basket of the game with 14:00 to go in the half on a Serena Moore layup, with an Allie Lindemann three cutting the Marist lead to seven, 14-7, with 12:55 left in the first.
The Red Foxes got the lead up to 10 with 8:40 to go in the half, as baskets by Oliver and Emily Stallings (Newburgh, N.Y.) capped an 8-3 run that put Marist ahead 24-14. The lead grew to 13 with 6:30 remaining in the half as Fitz made a pair of free throws to make the score 30-17. Siena closed to within six at the 2:48 mark, as Cristina Centeno made a three-pointer and a jumper to cap a 9-2 run to make the score 32-26. Marist got the lead back up to 10 before taking a 39-31 halftime lead, shooting 57.1% from the field in the first half.
The Red Foxes got the lead back up to 11 at the start of the second half on an Allenspach three, making the score 42-31. A Centeno three sparked a Saints 8-0 run which put Siena within three, 42-39, with 17:03 to go in the game. Marist put the lead back at 12 with 13:23 to go, as Oliver and Allenspach each hit threes during a 9-0 run to make the score 51-39.
After Allenspach made her fourth three of the game to make the score 54-41, with 12:18 to go, the Red Foxes went cold from the field. Marist went five minutes without a basket, allowing Siena to get within six on jumpshots by Centeno and Charlieann Chacon, making the score 54-48 with 9:50 to go. Oliver broke Marist's scoring slump with a baseline jumper with 7:18 to go, making the score 56-48. Allenspach then put the lead back at 10 with 6:56 to go with a pair of free throws. Siena got within seven late, but that was as close as the Saints would get. Marist made four of five free throws in the last 1:30 for the 71-58 win.
Marist shot 44.6% from the field for the game, while Siena shot 41.5%. The Saints outrebounded the Red Foxes 29-27. Marist forced 21 Saints turnovers and turned them into 33 points. The Red Foxes also had 20 assists to 10 turnovers. Centeno led Siena with a career-high 24 points. Moore added 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Marist returns to the McCann Center on Friday, Jan. 22 to take on the Saint Peter's Peahens. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, contact the Marist Ticket Office at 845-575-3553.
