POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Sophomore guard Trinasia Kennedy posted a game-high 14 points, senior captain Willow Duffell recorded a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double, and Marist Women's Basketball won its seventh consecutive game with a 71-55 victory over Saint Peter's on Thursday evening at McCann Arena.
 
The triumph pushes the Red Foxes' MAAC record to 13-2, and 15-2 overall. The Peacocks' win streak is snapped at three, placing their conference mark at 9-9 and 10-14 on the season.
 
Saint Peter's took at 16-14 edge into the second quarter, but Marist outscored the visitors 57-39 the rest of the way. The Red Foxes shot 55 percent from the field, including 57 percent from distance.
 
Senior captain Allie Best totaled 11 points on five-of-nine shooting, and dished out three assists. Junior guard Sarah Barcello registered 10 points and four boards to round out the four Red Foxes in double figures.
 
Kendrea Williams and Ajia James each had 11 points to lead Saint Peter's. Taiah Thornton scored 10 points, but was held to a 5-of-16 clip.

RED FOXES WIN!!! Seven straight Ws as four Red Foxes score in double figures, led by Trinasia Kennedy's 14 and Willow Duffell's double-double! Final home contest Friday at 5pm! #GoRedFoxes #MAACHoops pic.twitter.com/QkJ1kUdbPg

— Marist Women's Basketball (@MaristWBB) March 4, 2021

Highlights

• Towards the midpoint of the first quarter, freshman forward Caitlin Weimar and Duffell had two blocks within six seconds on Ajia James and Sky Castro, respectively.
• Marist sported an early 12-9 lead after the first media timeout, but Williams ignited a 7-0 Peacocks run with a jumper and a three to put the visitors ahead 16-12 with 1:09 left in the stanza.
• In the second frame, Marist scored the first nine points, including a nostalgic three-point play from Kennedy with a driving layup that started with a Duffell steal. Marist led 23-16 halfway through the frame.
• Saint Peter's got to within 27-25 on Marist after Thornton's third-chance layup with 1:54 until halftime, but freshman forward Zaria Demember-Shazer responded with a baseline floater, and Kennedy scored another conventional three points off a feed underneath from Duffell. The Red Foxes led 32-25 at halftime as a result.
• After Thornton ignited the third-quarter scoring, free throw line jumpers from Barcello and Best as well as an additional layup from the latter forced a Peacocks timeout, with the score favoring Marist 38-27 four minutes into the period.
• The Red Foxes sported their largest lead of the frame at 46-31 as Duffell swerved by her defender on the right block and scored with her left hand with 1:21 to go in the frame.
• Duffell and Kennedy nailed threes in the opening two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter to increase the advantage to 57-39.
• Freshman guard Anabel Ellison kept the offense flourishing with a driving layup through the paint, then finding sophomore forward Samantha Bailey with a behind-the-back pass around two defenders with 4:27 to play.
• Freshman forward Erin Fox capped the evening with a third-chance putback that drew a foul with 36 seconds on the clock.

Active hands? Yes.
TK to the tin? Yes!
Count it and one? Yes!!!
She aims to hit the FT after the break. #GoRedFoxes

Watch (ESPN3): https://t.co/qfeh7r2PiJ
International Stream (https://t.co/263mOgCd6Y): https://t.co/5Yhz2rAbgC
Live Stats: https://t.co/W56uxb0Nvd pic.twitter.com/w4ABPU8h2S

— Marist Women's Basketball (@MaristWBB) March 4, 2021

stats

• The Red Foxes took just seven threes, but shot 55 percent from inside the arc.
• Saint Peter's shot just 31 percent from the field, and made just four three-pointers on 21 attempts, three of which came in the first half.
• Both teams turned the ball over 16 times, but Marist capitalized with 13 points compared to just eight for the Peacocks.
• Marist also held the advantage in bench points (24-12) and points in the paint (40-28).
• Duffell led all players with the 12 boards, and chipped in three blocks.

 

notes

• The Red Foxes went a perfect 8-0 in the opening game of a MAAC series this year.
• Marist improved to 8-0 at McCann Arena this season. The program will seek its first undefeated season at McCann Arena since the 2006-07 campaign (12-0).
• Duffell now has five double-doubles on the season. Prior to this year, she only had two.
• Kennedy is averaging 12.8 points in her last eight contests, starting with her 26-point effort at Fairfield back on January 16th.
• Marist is now 17-2 all-time when Barcello scores at least 10 points.
• The Red Foxes now lead the Peacocks 37-17 in the all-time series. Twenty-seven of Marist's last 30 wins over Saint Peter's have been by double digits.

 

postgame quotes

• After the game, Duffell and Head Coach Brian Giorgis met with the media.

 

up next

• The two teams rematch in the regular season finale on Friday, March 5th at 5 p.m.
• Before the game, Marist Athletics will honor Best and Duffell with a Senior Night ceremony. To see photos and video of the ceremony, follow @MaristWBB on Twitter and Instagram.