It was closer than they have been accustomed to in recent MAAC play, but the Marist women's basketball team got it done again, with a 70-62 win over Loyola. The win moves Marist to 8-0 in the MAAC and maintains their one game lead in the overall standings.
The Red Foxes were led by a balanced scoring offense, consisting of 4 players scoring in double figures. Senior Brandy Gang had a game high 20, sophomore Casey Dulin chipped in with 14, and sophomore Leanne Ockenden and junior Kelsey Beynnon added 12 and 11 respectively.
"It was kind of funny, I went into the locker room and said ‘kids this is a tremendous win', and they all looked at me like they thought they we're going to get screamed at, but it really was, because it's the first time anyone's really gone after them since Hofstra and Auburn," Marist head coach Brian Giorgis said.
The win was only the second single digit conference win of the season, and the first at the McCann Arena.
After a back and forth start, which saw Beynnon score the first six Red Fox points, Marist went on a 14-2 run, which opened up the lead early in the first half, at 20-8, and they would take a nine point lead to the locker rooms at 35-26.
The second half was back and forth throughout, as neither team could take control. Each time the Red Foxes tried to pull away, Loyola would come right back with a few quick baskets to keep the score within reach. The Greyhounds mounted a spirited comeback at the end of the game, cutting the score to 67-62 with 34 seconds left, but it was too little too late as Brandy Gang and Casey Dulin went three of four from the charity stripe to preserve the win.
The win was yet another strong defensive effort from Marist, led as always by Leanne Ockenden, who has become known as "lockdown" for her standout defending.
"She's been our defensive stalwart all year, and she's done the best job in the conference," GIorgis said of Ockenden's defense. "Again, we saw someone having a poor shooting percentage with [Leanne] on her. She's long, and the one thing I think she does best is that she contests shots."
Ockenden's defensive assignment tonight was Katie Sheahin, who is Loyola's leading scorer. Although Sheahin finished with 16 points, she shot just seven of nineteen from the floor, and several of her baskets were when Ockenden was not guarding her.
"I just think it's really important to play good defense," Ockenden said. "Coach Giorgis always says that defense is a really important part of the game so I'm just working on it."
Marist continues their quest for another unbeaten MAAC season when they host St. Peters this Monday at seven. Including MAAC Tournament play, Marist is currently riding a 32 game conference winning streak, something they look to continue against the Peacocks.
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