Feb. 26, 2010
Box Score
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Erica Allenspach's (Miamisburg, Ohio) baseline jumper with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime clinched the seventh consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season title for the Marist women's basketball team Friday night. The Red Foxes defeated the Iona Gaels 82-80 at the Hynes Athletic Center for Marist's fifth consecutive win. Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) led all players with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
Fitz was 11-of-16 from the field and 5-for-5 at the free throw line. She also had four assists and three steals. Lynzee Johnson (Bellbrook, Ohio) had 10 points and five rebounds off the bench.
Yarde and Kristina Ford of Iona (16-12, 12-5 MAAC) shined early in the game. Ford scored the Gaels' first seven points, as Yarde scored eight in a row for Marist (23-6, 15-2 MAAC) to give the Red Foxes an 11-7 lead with 16:19 left in the first half. Iona took the lead 12-11 on a Cat Lutz layup and a Thazina Cook three-pointer at the 12:02 mark. Yarde responded with her third three-pointer of the half to give Marist a 14-12 lead with 11:41 to go in the half. A Johnson layup sparked an 8-2 run for the Red Foxes, with a pair of Fitz free throws giving Marist a 22-16 lead with 8:49 remaining in the half.
Iona tied the game 22-22 with 7:37 left in the first on back-to-back threes by Ford and Tomica Bacic. Ford then hit a three at the 6:50 mark to give Iona a 25-24 lead. Marist took the lead back at the 4:14 mark, as baskets by Kate Oliver (Sydney, Australia) and Kristine Best (Commack, N.Y.) gave the Red Foxes a 28-27 lead. Iona took the lead back on a Samantha Kopp triple, making the score 30-28 with 3:56 remaining in the half.
Maria Laterza (Brooklyn, N.Y.) tied the game 30-30 with a layup at the 3:24 mark of the first. Johnson and Best then hit consecutive threes to highlight a 10-0 run for the Red Foxes, which put them ahead 38-30 with under two minutes to go in the half. Iona cut into the lead with baskets from Anna McLean and Milica Paligoric to make the halftime score 42-37. Marist shot 50% from the field in the first half and made 6-of-7 three-pointers.
The Red Foxes grew its lead to eight early in the second half, as a Yarde three put Marist ahead 47-39 with 17:28 to go in the game. Iona got within four at the 16:56 mark on a Cook three-point play, making the score 47-43. Fitz then scored on back-to-back possessions to put the lead back up to eight, 51-43, with 15:54 left in the game. Cook then hit a three with 15:41 to go to jumpstart an 8-0 run for Iona that tied the game 51-51 with 13:55 remaining in the game. Iona took the lead 54-53 on Ford's fifth three-pointer of the game with 12:49 to go.
Marist took the lead right back as Élise Caron (Quebec, Canada) then made a driving layup, followed up with another Gang three to make the score 64-57 with 8:04 to go in the game. A McLean putback layup started a 9-0 for the Gaels over the next 3:09, with a Ford layup giving Iona a 66-64 lead.
The Red Foxes then got a Fitz basket and a pair of Yarde free throws to take the lead, 68-67, with 2:39 remaining in the game. Iona took the lead back with a 5-0 run over the next 1:46, as a pair of McLean free throws made the score 72-68 with 53 seconds left in regulation. Fitz then converted a three-point play to get the Red Foxes within one, 72-71, with 27 seconds left. Marist then fouled Suzi Fregosi, who split a pair of free throws to give the Gaels a 73-71 lead. The Red Foxes once again fed the ball down low to Fitz, who scored with 19 seconds left to tie the game at 73-73. Cook then made a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to put Iona ahead 75-73. With two seconds left, Iona fouled Fitz who made both free throws to tie the game 75-75 and force overtime.
Iona controlled the first two minutes of overtime, getting a three from Hubbard and a McLean layup to take an 80-77 lead with 2:58 to go. Marist came right back down the floor and got a Johnson three to tie the game 80-80 with 2:45 left in overtime. The Gaels had two chances to take the lead, but Hubbard and Cook could not convert jump shots in the paint. Marist took advantage on its next possession, as Allenspach drove the baseline and connected on a tear-drop runner to give the Red Foxes the 82-80 win.
Marist shot 45.1% from the field for the game, making 52.4% of its three-pointers. Iona shot an even 50% from the field and 55% from the three-point arc. The Red Foxes held a 41-31 rebounding advantage and committed 15 turnovers to the Gaels' 16. Cook led Iona with 21 points, while Ford had 20 points and seven rebounds. McLean had 14 points and seven rebounds. Marist's win is its 22nd in a row over Iona.
Marist concludes the regular season on Sunday with a 2 p.m. game at Manhattan.
