CANCUN, MEXICO - Brandy Gang (Hartville, Ohio) hit seven of eight free throws in the second half, part of an 18-point, seven rebound performance as the Marist women's basketball team overcame an eight point deficit in the second half to defeat South Dakota St. 57-49 Friday night at the Cancun Challenge.
Gang, who finished one point shy of her career-high, was 9-12 from the charity stripe and scored 12 of her points in the second half. Leanne Ockenden (Syracuse, N.Y.) had 11 points, including 3-5 from three-point range, and Kristine Best (Commack, N.Y.) had a season-high eight points. Corielle Yarde (Reading, Pa.) added seven points, six assists and tied with Gang for team-high honors with seven rebounds.
The Marist (3-2) offense took a little while to get going, not scoring a basket until Best hit a long jump shot at 17:17 to pull the Red Foxes within four at 6-2. Gang then converted her first of two three-point plays to close within one at 6-5.
Points by Ockenden and Casey Dulin (Millford, Conn.) eventually tied the score at nine, but the Red Foxes could not take the lead as the Jackrabbits (3-3) went on a 9-3 run to take a 18-12 lead with 7:49 to go in the first half.
In the closing seconds of the half, Ockenden took a pass from Yarde and shot over a defender for a three-pointer to send the Red Foxes into the locker down only one at 25-24.
Gang led Marist with six points at the half and Ockenden had five. Yarde had team-highs with four rebounds and five assists at the break.
The offense started slow again in the second half, hitting only two baskets, two three-pointers by Ockenden, in the first four and a half minutes. After a layup by Best cut the South Dakota St. lead to 36-32, the Jackrabbits held the Red Foxes scoreless for the next six minutes, while extending their lead to seven. A three by Yarde finally broke the drought and closed the score to 39-35 with 9:03 left to play.
Following a Jackrabbit free throw, Gang went on a personal 7-0 run bring Marist all the way back and give them their first lead of the game at 42-40. She did all the scoring by hitting four free throws sandwiched around a three-pointer off of a Best assist.
With the score tied at 42 with under three minutes to play, Dulin (six points) also hit four free throws surrounding a layin by Kelsey Beynnon (Burlington, Vt.), along with a layup by Gang as the Red Foxes grabbed a commanding 50-42 lead with one minute left to play
Best, Yarde and Gang were all perfect from the free throw line over the final 60 seconds, thwarting any late rally by the Jackrabbits.
The Red Foxes will take a short break before their next game. After playing five games in a 10-day stretch, they will have five days off before they host Hartford on Thursday, Dec. 1. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at McCann Arena
