SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Marist women's basketball team won its eighth straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship, and ninth in program history, with a 72-48 victory over Iona on Monday. The championship total ties the all-time conference record held by Saint Peter's.
Senior forward Elizabeth Beynnon (Burlington, Vt.) was named MAAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. Junior guards Casey Dulin (Milford, Conn.) and Leanne Ockenden (Syracuse, N.Y.) were selected to the MAAC All-Tournament Team.
The Red Foxes had four double-digit scorers against the Gaels. Beynnon had 15 points, followed by Dulin and freshman guard Sydney Coffey (New Hope, Minn.) with 12. Dulin was just shy of a triple-double with nine assists and eight rebounds. Junior forward Emma O'Connor (Lynbrook, N.Y.) added 11 points, and tied Dulin for the team lead with eight boards. Ockenden, the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, held Iona's Damika Martinez, the MAAC Player of the Year, to just four points on 2-9 shooting from the field and four turnovers. Marist finished with 24 assists on 26 made field, including on the first 17 baskets.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair much of the way. Marist started just 2-7 from the field, but both of those baskets were three-point field goals from Coffey and Dulin, to keep the score tied at six with 15:39 left.
A three-point play by Coffey and a jumper by Beynnon gave Marist five straight points and an 11-6 lead at the 14:09 mark.
Iona eventually fought back to take a 15-13 lead, but four straight points by Danella, on two free throws and a short jumper, and back-to-back three pointers by Ockenden and O'Connor put the Red Foxes back ahead at 23-17.
After an Iona three-pointer, the Red Foxes went on a 9-2 run to open a 10-point lead at 32-22. O'Connor started the streak with another Marist three-pointer, her first trey in seven games. Beynnon hit a jumper and two free throws before O'Connor closed things with a jumper of her own.
Marist took a seven-point lead, 34-27, into the locker rooms at halftime.
The second half started with the two teams trading baskets for the first few minutes. Marist still held a seven point lead at 40-33 at the 16:17 mark before embarking on a 14-2 run, holding Iona without a field goal for a 7:26 span. Dulin hit Ockenden on a backdoor cut for an easy layup to start the run. Dulin then hit a layup of her own and O'Connor added one as well. Dulin made another two-point basket before Coffey and Natalie Gomez (Andover, Mass.) each hit three-pointers to bring the lead to 54-34 with 11:18 left.
Following a basket by the Gaels, the Red Foxes went on another 11-2 run to expand their lead to 65-38 with 8:04 left. Kristina Danella (Manalapan, N.J.) scored the first five points on two free throws and a three-point play off of a fast break layup on a long pass from Gomez. Ockenden and Dulin each hit three-pointers to close the streak.
Marist will find out its destination for the NCAA Tournament next Monday, March 18. The selection show will take place at 7 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN.
Notes - The eight straight MAAC Championships is the longest active streak in the nation for consecutive conference championships... Marist has now won seven straight games by a margin of at least 20 points... The Red Foxes are now 23-0 this season when scoring at least 60 points... Marist has now won 31 consecutive games against MAAC opponents, including postseason play.
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