Feb. 11, 2011
Box Score
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - The #25/24 Marist women's basketball team won its 18th consecutive game after a 56-45 triumph over the Iona Gaels in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) game at the Hynes Athletic Center on Friday afternoon. Junior guard Élise Caron (Quebec, Canada) who matched a season-high with 13 points, while classmate Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio) added 12.
Caron also equaled a season-high with six rebounds and dished out three assists. She shot 4-for-5 from the field, 3-for-4 from three-point range and a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Allenspach grabbed five rebounds and had an assist and four steals.
The Red Foxes and Gaels exchanged short runs to open the game. Marist (22-2, 13-0 MAAC) scored the first four points on layups by Allenspach and Caron. Iona responded with the next five points on a layup and three-point field goal by Diana Hubbard.
From there Marist used a 10-0 run over a span of 1:51 to reclaim the lead, at 14-5. Caron provided the spark on the run and scored the first six points on consecutive triples. She then assisted on the third basket, a layup from Kelsey Beynnon (Burlington, Vt.). Freshman Leanne Ockenden (Syracuse, N.Y.) capped the spurt with a layup at the 11:58 mark.
Iona (9-16, 5-8 MAAC) cut the lead to four, 14-10, with 9:58 remaining in the opening stanza. Marist responded and grew the lead as large as 12 points, 29-17, with 5:21 to play in the period. The margin capped a 7-0 run. At halftime the Red Foxes held a nine-point lead, 33-24.
In the second half, Iona cut the deficit to as few as eight on two occasions. Anda Ivkovic made a free throw with 8:40 to go. The Gaels cut it back to eight points, 45-37, with 5:50 to go on a Tomica Bacic layup.
Allenspach gave Marist its largest lead of the game, a 13-point edge, 50-37 with 3:53 left. She hit a triple off a pass from junior Emily Stallings (Newburgh, N.Y.).
The Red Foxes went 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the final 52 seconds of the game to secure the victory. Stallings and Allenspach each hit a pair of foul shots.
Marist outscored Iona in the paint 32-12 and compiled nine steals on 16 Iona turnovers. The Red Foxes shot 21-for-54 (38.9 percent) from the field as opposed to Iona's 14-for-59 (23.7 percent) performance from the floor. In comparison, Marist hit 13 field goals in the first half.
#25/24 Marist will return to action on Monday, Feb. 14 when it hosts Canisius in a MAAC game. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the McCann Center. The Marist Athletics Department will host its annual WBCA Pink Zone game and looks to raise money for Miles of Hope.
For ticket information call the Marist ticket office at 845-575-3553 or visit http://goredfoxes.cstv.com/tickets/mari-tickets-w-baskbl.html.
Notes: Marist improved to 16-2 when it is ranked in the top-25... Caron matched a season-high with 13 points. The last time she scored 13 points was against Iona at the McCann Center on Jan. 4... Yarde led the team in scoring for the seventh time this season and second straight game... Three players, Caron, Stallings and Laterza each grabbed six rebounds to lead the Red Foxes... Marist is 27-9 all-time against Iona since becoming a Division I program in 1981-82... The Red Foxes have won the last 24 meetings between Marist and Iona, a stretch that spans Giorgis' tenure at Marist... The Red Foxes are unbeaten in true road games, a perfect 10-0.
