Marist University Athletics

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – On the back of senior Emma O'Connor (Lynbrook, N.Y.), the Marist women's basketball team (16-5, 10-1 MAAC) defeated Rider (6-13, 4-6 MAAC) on Wednesday evening, 66-55. The Red Foxes improved to 10-1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with the win. O'Connor recorded her fourth double-double this season with 23 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Sophomore Madeline Blais (Exeter, N.H.) posted 13 points and three assists. Senior Casey Dulin (Milford, Conn.) contributed eight points, four assists, six boards, and a team-high two steals. Senior Leanne Ockenden (Syracuse, N.Y.) had nine points and six boards. Sophomore Sydney Coffey (Hopkins, Minn.) matched a team-high four assists and had an additional seven points. 

As a team, Marist shot a perfect 13-13 from the free-throw line.

The opening four minutes of play were tight as Marist and Rider posted two tied scores, ending up locked at seven with 16:20 to play. The Red Foxes took a 9-7 lead off a layup from Dulin to take its final lead of the game. The remainder of the first half was a close game, with Marist's largest lead of the half resting at seven at the 3:00 mark. Rider's Mikal Johnson hit a three with 1:30 to play, followed by another three from Kornelija Valiuskyte to pull within one. The Red Foxes were able to maintain a slight 26-25 edge over Rider heading into halftime.

Marist opened up the second half strong, posting a 7-0 run out of the gate, taking a 33-25 lead. Valiuskyte broke the silence for Rider with a three, but O'Connor responded with a three of her own to put the Red Foxes back up by eight. Six points from O'Connor and three from Blais increased the Marist lead to 11 at the 13:50 mark. The Broncs began chipping away at the lead, trailing just 50-46 with 7:20 to play.

Fueled by six points from O'Connor, Marist posted a 9-0 run over the following three minutes to top Rider 59-46 with 4:30 to go. A jumper by MyNeshia McKenzie pulled the Broncs within 11 before Marist scored another five unanswered points to lead by 16, 64-48, with just over two minutes to play. Shereen Lightbourne posted five of the last eight points for Rider but it wasn't enough as the Red Foxes earned a 66-56 victory over the Broncs.