March 5, 2010
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ALBANY, N.Y. - The top-seeded Marist women's basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the 2010 Citizens Bank Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Basketball Championship on Friday afternoon, defeating Canisius 57-38. The Red Foxes used a 10-4 run to open the second half to pull away from the Golden Griffins. Corielle Yarde (Leesport, Pa.) led Marist with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) had 12 points and eight rebounds, going 6-for-7 at the free throw line. Kristine Best (Commack, N.Y.) had 10 points, making 4-of-7 shots from the field. Brandy Gang (Hartville, Ohio) had nine points and four rebounds off the bench.
After a Brittane Russell three-pointer put Canisius (12-18) ahead 3-0, Marist (24-7) responded with a Fitz basket and a Yarde three-pointer to go up 5-3 with 17:35 left in the first. The Red Foxes then got a pair of free throws from Fitz and Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio) to take a 9-5 lead with 15:01 remaining in the opening half. The Golden Griffins tied the game 10-10 on a Russell baseline jumper and an Ashley Durham three-pointer at the 12:41 mark.
Marist took the lead back one minute later, as Fitz converted a three-point play to put the Red Foxes ahead 13-10. Canisius closed to within one with 11:18 to go in the half as a Tasia Lee jumper made the score 13-12. The Red Foxes then grew the lead to five, 17-12, on back-to-back baskets by Best and Elise Caron (Quebec, Canada). Marist led 19-15 with 4:21 to go in the half when Lee knocked down a three to put Canisius within one, 19-18.
The Red Foxes then held the Golden Griffins without a field goal for the next 4:12, getting free throws from Fitz and Allenspach and a Yarde basket to take a 24-18 lead. Russell got Canisius within three at halftime with a three-pointer with nine seconds left at the half, making the score 24-21.
Marist came out and dominated the early portion of the second half. Best scored eight of the Red Foxes' first 10 points, making two threes to give Marist a 34-25 lead with 14:47 left in the game. The Red Foxes then took their first double-digit lead at the 13:20 mark on a pair of Yarde free throws, making the score 38-27. Canisius closed to within seven on baskets by Russell and Whitney Ellenor to put the score at 38-31 with 12:11 remaining in the game. Gang then made back-to-back threes to give Marist a 44-31 lead with 10:48 to go.
Canisius closed to within eight, 46-38, with 8:43 to go on baskets by Russell and Ellie Radke. That would be as close as the Golden Griffins would get. Canisius was held scoreless for the remainder of the game, as the Red Foxes ended the game on a 13-0 run to win 57-38.
Marist shot 33.3% from the field for the game and 40% in the second half. Canisius was held to 24.6% from the field, but held a 42-37 rebound advantage. The Red Foxes' forced 15 Canisius turnovers and committed only seven. Russell led all scorers with 17 points, while Lee had seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Red Foxes advance to Saturday's semifinals to take on either Manhattan or Niagara. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 11:30 a.m. and will be televised on MSG.
