NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, New York – Marist Women's Basketball scored the first 24 points of the game, riding the hot start to a 94-67 rout of Niagara on Saturday afternoon at the Gallagher Center.
The Red and White collects its sixth-consecutive victory and improves to a MAAC-best 4-0 in conference play, as well as 11-2 overall. Niagara falls to 1-3 in the MAAC and 3-10 overall.
Marist unloaded 32 points in the quarter, a season-high, and 56 points in the first half, tied for the most in program history. The 94 points also marks the third-straight game with at last 90 points, which is a program record.
Redshirt senior captain
Alana Gilmer dropped 18 points on a perfect 9-9 from the field. She becomes the first Red Fox to ever shoot 100 percent from the field with at least eight baskets, surpassing Rachele Fitz's record .917 percentage against George Washington on November 28, 2009.
Senior captain
Rebekah Hand added 18 points on 8-9 field goals. Fellow captain
Grace Vander Weide (11 points, seven rebounds, and five assists) also reached double figures for the Red Foxes.
Jai Moore paced Niagara with 23 points.
- Niagara had to call a timeout 1:42 into the game after the captains each scored to make it 6-0.
- Vander Weide and Rebekah Hand had triples, and sophomore guard Sarah Barcello converted a fastbreak layup to make it 14-0 3:02 in.
- Rebekah Hand's fastbreak bucket capped the 24-0 start at the 4:10 mark of the quarter.
- Marist's largest lead in the first half came off a Willow Duffell jumper with 3:13 until halftime and a three-pointer from sophomore guard Kendall Krick with 1:35 to go.
- Gilmer's final field goal of the afternoon gave the Red Foxes a 37-point edge, their largest lead of the game, with 7:04 in the third quarter.
- The Purple Eagles got as close as 22 points in the third, but junior guard Allie Best responded with a triple as 1:37 flashed on the clock.
- Redshirt junior forward Molly Smith drained a trey from the top of the key to open up the fourth-quarter scoring.
- Marist reached 90 when senior guard Hannah Hand took the pass from freshman guard Julianna Bonilla and converted the layup with 4:08 to play.
- The Red and White went 15-19 from the field (78.9 percent) in the first quarter, gathering 22 points in the paint and 11 off the fastbreak.
- Niagara committed eight turnovers in the game's first 19 minutes.
- Marist's starting five missed just five shots in the first half. Each player was +20 on the floor, led by Gilmer's +35.
- The 28 assists and 40 field goals tie a season-high for the Red and White.
- Four Red Foxes, paced by Duffell's six, tallied at least four assists.
- Redshirt senior guard Claire Oberdorf led Marist with eight rebounds, and Marist had the 32-30 edge on the glass.
- Twelve Red Foxes played at least 10 minutes, 13 scored points, and all 14 players on the roster found the hardwood.
- Marist last recorded 56 points in a half in the 88-60 triumph at UMass on December 21, 2017.
- In their last three games, the Red Foxes have earned 280 points and 84 assists on 56.7 percent shooting.
- Rebekah Hand's 2-2 performance beyond the arc moved her into a tie for fourth all-time with Leanne Ockenden.
- Barcello's first basket gave her 100 for her career.
- Marist has won its last 10 games at Niagara, and improves to 34-15 all-time against the Purple Eagles.
- The Red Foxes are 4-0 in MAAC play for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
- Marist heads back to Poughkeepsie for a matchup against Rider on Thursday, January 16 at 7 p.m.
- Tickets are on sale at MaristTickets.com.
