POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Kristina Danella (Manalapan, N.J.) and Corielle Yarde (Reading, Pa.) each scored a game-high 19 points, as each hit four three-pointers, leading five Red Foxes in double figures as the Marist women's basketball rebounded from their first conference loss with a 87-49 victory over Saint Peter's Monday night at McCann Arena.
Casey Dulin (Milford, Conn.) scored 12 points and Brandy Gang (Hartville, Ohio) had 10 points and tied for team-high honors with Natalie Gomez (Andover, Mass.) and Emma O'Connor (Lynbrook, N.Y.) with six rebounds apiece. Freshman Briana Holmes (Columbus, Ohio) set a career-high with 11 points and added three rebounds in just 12 minutes off the bench. Freshman walk-on Maggie Gallagher (Stormville, N.Y) registered her first career points when she hit a three-pointer in the closing seconds. In all, Marist shot 54% from the floor and hit a season-high 14 three-pointers. They registered 20 assists on 28 made field goals, led by Gomez and Leanne Ockenden (Syracuse, N.Y.) who each had four.
The Red Foxes (16-7, 11-1 MAAC) quickly put behind their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) loss in almost two years as they used a 30-8 run over a seven and a half minute span in the first half, after Saint Peter's (2-21, 2-10 MAAC) had jumped ahead 6-2, to take control with a 32-14 lead with 7:56 left in the first half.
Danella started the run with a good baseline drive around a Peahens' defender for a layup. Her and Yarde then hit three-pointers on consecutive shots. On the next possession, Danella made a nice pass to a cutting Dulin for an easy layup. On the next trip down the floor, Danella hit her second trey while being fouled and completed the four-point play.
After Saint Peter's hit a three-pointer of their own, Marist hit four treys on their next six possessions to end the run. Yarde, Dulin, Gang and Ockenden all hit from behind the arc, surrounding layups by O'Connor and Dulin.
Marist held a 24-point lead at halftime at 46-22. The Red Foxes had more points in the first half than they did all day in their loss at Manhattan on Saturday when they scored only 44 points. Yarde led all scorers after the opening period with 11 points. Danella and Dulin each had nine as the Red Foxes shot 59% overall from the floor and 67% from three-point range. They scored 26 of their points off of 13 Peahen's turnovers.
Marist continued scoring out of the break as the Red Foxes opened the second half on a 9-4 run. Yarde led the charge with six of those points, on three free-throws and a three-pointer and Danella hit another trey of her own.
Overall, the Red Foxes outscored the Peahens 28-6 over the first 13 minutes of the second half to open up a 46 point lead at 74-28 with 6:54 left. They ended the run scoring 18 straight.
Within the streak, Danella scored seven straight points on a long jumper, her fourth trey of the game and a layup. Holmes followed with her first points of the night on two free throws and, after a Dulin lay-in, hit her first three-pointer of her career.
Marist will next host Fairfield on Friday at 7 p.m. in the annual "Pack the House" game. This year's theme is "Pack the Prom". The Red Foxes will also play at home versus Siena on Sunday, in their Play 4Kay Breast Cancer Awareness game.
Notes - The Red Foxes were again without starting forward Kelsey Beynnon (Burlington, Vt.) who is day-to-day with an ankle injury. Senior forward Emily Stallings (Newburgh, N.Y.) was also unavailable as she was battling a stomach virus... Marist leads the all-time series with Saint Peter's 21-15 and have won 14 games in a row... Head Coach Brian Giorgis is now 20-3 in his career against the Peahens.
