NIAGARA FALLS, NY. – Danielle Williamsen tallied 20 points to lead Marist women's basketball past Niagara, 67-56, on Saturday afternoon inside the Gallagher Center. With the win, Marist has swept the Western New York trip for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
With the victory, Marist clinched a spot in the MAAC Championships held in Atlantic City in March.
Williamsen added three assists, and two steals to go along with her 20 points, while
Malea Egan tallied a career-high 10 points off the bench. With the win, Marist improved to 14-12 on the season and 9-7 in the MAAC, while Niagara fell to 1-23 on the campaign and 0-16 in conference play.
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The two sides were nearly even halfway through the opening frame, with Niagara holding a slim 10-7 lead over Marist heading into the media timeout with 4:42 left in the first. The Purple Eagles held Marist to 10 points in the first quarter, as Niagara took a 14-10 advantage into the second.
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After falling behind 16-10, Marist rattled off a swift 7-0 run, capped by a
Jackie Piddock three-pointer to force a Niagara timeout with the Red Foxes leading 17-16.
Out of the timeout, the Marist run stretched to 23-7, as the Red Foxes carried a 33-23 lead into halftime.
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The Red Foxes opened the second half with a 9-4 run, forcing a Niagara timeout with Marist leading 42-27. The Marist lead reached as high as 18 points before the Purple Eagles battled back to trim the Red Foxes' lead to 13 heading into the fourth.
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The Purple Eagles opened the fourth with a 6-2 run to trim the Marist lead to single digits before a
Danielle Williamsen bucket halted the Niagara run.
The Williamsen finish sparked a 7-2 Marist run, capped by another tough finish from the finish, pushing the Red Foxes' lead to 61-47.
The lead proved to be too much for the Purple Eagles, as the Red Foxes held on for the eventual 67-56 victory to clinch a spot in the MAAC Championships.
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- With the victory, Marist clinched a spot in the MAAC Championships held in Atlantic City in March
- With the win, Marist has totaled 14 on the season, more than double last season's win total
- The win marked the ninth MAAC victory of the season for the Red Foxes, more than double last season's MAAC total
- Marist's nine MAAC victories this season is three more than the 2023-24 win total for the Red Foxes
- The win marked the first sweep of the Western New York trip for the Red Foxes since the 2019-20 campaign
- Danielle Williamsen led the way with 20 points
- Williamsen scored 11 of her 20 in the first half
- Malea Egan scored a career-high 10 points in the win
- Morgan Lee tallied eight points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in the victory
- Lee has totaled 12 blocks in her last two games
- Marist will be back in action on Thursday, Feb. 27, when the Red Foxes play host to Sacred Heart.
- Tip-off inside McCann Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
To stay updated with all Marist women's basketball news, follow the program on Twitter/Instagram @MaristWBB or visit goredfoxes.com/sports/womens-basketball.
