POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Casey Dulin (Milford, Conn.) finished with 13 points and set new career-highs with eight rebounds and four steals as the Marist women's basketball team never trailed in winning their fourth consecutive game, 61-41 over Manhattan in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) game at McCann Arena on Monday night.
Dulin also led the Red Foxes' offense, handing out six assists. Brandy Gang (Hartville, Ohio) had a game-high 14 points and Corielle Yarde (Reading, Pa.) also added 13 points along with seven rebounds, four on the offensive glass. Leanne Ockenden (Syracuse, N.Y) had nine points and Kelsey Beynnon contributed seven points and six rebounds. The Marist defense forced 19 Manhattan turnovers and the 41 points was the lowest point total by an opponent this season. The Red Foxes outrebounded their opponent for just the third time this year, grabbing 33 total boards with 16 of those coming on the offensive end.
For the fourth consecutive game the Marist (9-6, 4-0 MAAC) offense jumped out to a quick start, scoring on their first four possessions to take an 8-2 lead just two and a half minutes into the game. Gang had a layup and a three-point play surrounding a three-pointer by Dulin in the opening run.
After the Jaspers (8-8, 2-2 MAAC) came within two at 8-6, the Red Foxes responded with a 9-0 run over two minutes to take a 17-6 lead with 13:46 left in the first half. Gang hit a jumper, Dulin converted a three-point play and Yarde hit the first of her four treys.
Manhattan again cut the lead, closing in at 22-19 on a Monica Roeder three-pointer with 5:36 to play, but the Red Foxes' defense would hold them scoreless for the rest of the half. Meanwhile, Gang made another layup and Ockenden and Dulin each hit shots from behind the arc to close the period with Marist on a 8-0 run and give them a 30-19 lead.
Marist had the top three scorers in the game at the break. Dulin led with 11 points while Gang and Yarde had nine and six, respectively. Dulin and Beynnon also led all players with four rebounds apiece.
Beynnon scored Marist's first five points of the second half, part of an 11-2 run to open the period. After a Manhattan basket, Beynnon hit a jump shot off of a feed from Dulin. A couple of possessions later, she picked off a pass on the defensive end and ran the court for the layup while drawing a foul. After she hit the free throw, Ockenden hit her second three-pointer of the game and Gang converted a three-point play to bring the Red Foxes' lead to 20 at 41-21 six minutes into the second half.
From there, the Red Foxes maintained a lead of at least 19 points for the rest of the game. Yarde hit two more from downtown while Kristina Danella (Manalapan, N.J) also hit one and Ockenden converted another three-point play for Marist.
The Red Foxes will play at Fairfield at 7 p.m. Thursday evening in a matchup of the last remaining udefeated teams in the MAAC. The team will then return to McCann Arena for four consecutive home games starting with a Sunday, Jan. 15 contest against Niagara at 2 p.m.
Notes - For the second consecutive game, Marist walk-ons senior Caroline Feeley (Rye, N.Y) and Maggie Gallagher (Stormville, N.Y.) got in at the end of the game... Marist has not started MAAC play 4-0 for the seventh consecutive season... Marist tied up the all-time series with the Jaspers at 20 wins apiece. Manhattan was one of just two teams in the MAAC that Marist did not hold a winning record against... The Red Foxes have now defeated the Jaspers 17 straight times... Head Coach Brian Giorgis is 17-4 in his career against Manhattan, including two wins in the MAAC Tournament in 2004 and 2007.
