LAWRENCEVILLE, New Jersey - Senior captain
Rebekah Hand totaled 20 points off 10 free throws, and Marist hit its final 11 foul shots to hold off Rider for a 63-58 victory to take first place in the MAACÂ on Tuesday evening from Alumni Gymnasium.
The Red Foxes vault over the Broncs with an 11-2 conference record, and are 18-4 overall following their fourth-straight win. The Broncs drop their second consecutive contest to 10-2 in the MAAC and 17-4 on the season.
Marist led by as much as 19 thanks to a ferocious defensive second quarter where Rider went just 1-16 from the field to score just two points. However, the Broncs cut it to a two-point deficit at 57-55. Redshirt senior captain
Grace Vander Weide responded with four made foul shots in a row to boost Marist's lead to 61-55 with 15 seconds to play.
The Red Foxes went 20-24 from the charity stripe in the contest, good for 83.3 percent.
Stella Johnson led Rider with 26 points on 24 field goal attempts.
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- Rider held Marist off the board to start until redshirt senior captain Alana Gilmer drained a 15-foot jumper from the left elbow 2:37 in.
- The Red Foxes went on a mini 5-0 run, capped when Rebekah Hand fed senior guard Hannah Hand for a layup in the low post at the 2:48 mark of the first quarter.
- Hannah Hand then converted another layup to put the Red and White up 13-11 after the first stanza.
- The basket vaulted Marist to a 17-2 run. The Broncs went on a scoreless stretch for 11:24.
- Rider's only points of the second quarter came with 31 seconds left until halftime.
- However, Smith beat the halftime buzzer with a right-elbow bullseye to stake the Red Foxes to a 28-13 advantage at the break.
- To start the third quarter, sophomore guard Sarah Barcello converted a layup and drew a foul. Though she missed the free throw, she grabbed her own rebound and potted a second layup to put Marist up 32-13.
- The Broncs then raced to a 14-2 run to force a Red Fox timeout midway through the period, with the latter up 34-27.
- Marist put up an 8-0 run to go back up 16, capped by a Vander Weide jumper.
- With the Red Foxes leading 57-47 at the 4:09 mark of the fourth quarter, the Broncs went on an 8-0 run.
- Junior forward Willow Duffell made a strong defensive play when she tipped a pass underneath Rider's bucket as Marist nursed a 59-55 edge. Vander Weide then picked up the ball to lead to foul shots.
- As a team, Marist shot 40.4 percent from the field.
- Coming into the game as the fifth-best team in the nation in assists per game, the Red Foxes assisted on 15 of their 21 field goals.
- Rider committed 17 turnovers, and shot 36.5 percent from the field in the game.
- The 13 first-half points were the lowest the Broncs have scored in a half this season.
- Marist outscored Rider 8-2 in second-chance points, 32-22 in points in the paint, and 13-3 in bench points.
- Vander Weide led the Red Foxes with 10 rebounds, her fifth time in double digits in that category, and tied the team lead with Rebekah Hand with five assists.
- Amari Johnson pulled down 17 rebounds for Rider.
- Marist has limited their opponents to 60 points or fewer in seven-straight contests. Six of those seven opponents have shot worse than 40 percent.
- The Red Foxes have allowed just four points combined in the second quarter of their last two games.
- After joining her as the only two Red Foxes in program history to rank in the top 10 in points, rebounds, and assists, Rebekah Hand moved past Corielle Yarde for ninth place in assists. The Argyle, TX native has 322 career helpers.
- Rebekah Hand drained 10 foul shots for the first time since November 18, 2018 against Temple. Prior to the game, she had just seven free throws made since January 9.
- Over her last three games, Vander Weide has averaged 9.7 rebounds per contest.
- Each team won the road match in the season series.
- Marist improves to 46-18 all-time against Rider.
- Marist travels back to Poughkeepsie to host Canisius on Thursday, February 13 at 7 p.m.
- Tickets are on sale at MaristTickets.com.
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