FAIRFIELD, Connecticut – The Marist Women's basketball team picked up its ninth straight win as they defeated the Fairfield Stags on the road 48-24 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action.
 
With the win the Red Foxes are guaranteed a top-two seed in the MAAC Championships and will play their first game on Friday, March 2nd. Marist improves to 17-10 overall and 13-2 in MAAC play. Fairfield drops to 10-15 overall and 7-7 in the league.
 
SUMMARY

• The Red Foxes and Stags would exchange leads twice in the first quarter. Marist would jump out to a 6-0 lead but Fairfield would battle back to take a lead of their own at 10-8 seven minutes in.
• Marist would close the quarter on a 7-0 run capped by a layup from Lovisa Henningsdottir with few seconds remaining, taking a 15-10 lead after the first.
• The offense would struggle to find a rhythm throughout the first half as both teams would go on to shoot 30 percent from the floor.
• The Red Foxes finished the first half 8-for-27 from the field while holding the Stags to 8-for-26 shooting. Marist would hold a 23-19 lead as the teams headed to break.
• Marist would hold Fairfield scoreless for nearly five minutes of the new half while rattling off a 7-0 run to take a 30-19 lead.
• The Red Foxes would extend their run to 13-2 and push the lead to 36-21 with less than three minutes remaining in the third.
• Overall Marist would shoot 7-for-14 from the field in the third and outscore Fairfield 18-6 to take a commanding 41-25 lead into the fourth.
• Fairfield could never cut into the lead much in the fourth as both teams held one another to single-digits and the Red Foxes prevailed, 48-34. 

KEY STATS

• Alana Gilmer led all Marist scorers with 14 points. Maura Fitzpatrick was the only other Red Fox in double digits with 10 points.
• Lovisa Henningsdottir, returning to the court for the first time since late December, scored seven key points and pulled down seven big rebounds.
• Despite shooting 30 percent in every quarter but the third and just 1-for-12 from three point range overall, the Red Foxes pulled off the double-digit victory.
• The win was in large part thanks to the defense, Marist held Fairfield to 15-for-54 (.278) shooting from the field, and 3-for-21 (.143) shooting from three. 

NOTES

• Fairfield's 34 points were the 5^th lowest scoring output for an opponent in head coach Brian Giorgis' tenure.
• First time holding an opponent under 40 points this season.
• First time the Red Foxes held an opponent in the thirties since 1/28/16 against Siena (66-37, W).
• Grace Vander Weide set a new career-high with 11 rebounds. 

UP NEXT
The Red Foxes will welcome MAAC leading Quinnipiac to McCann Arena on Sunday, Feb 18 in a battle of the top teams in the conference. Tip is set for 2 p.m. The Red Foxes will be hosting National Girls & Women In Sports Day.