Marist Earns a Spot in the Championship Game for 11th Consecutive Time
MAAC Sports
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – No. 2 Marist defeated No. 6 Rider 70-59 in the semifinals of the 2014 MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.
The Red Foxes showed why they are the top ranked defensive team in the conference. They held the Broncs to a shooting percent under 40 percent, 22 percent from behind the three point line, and forced Rider into 12 turnovers, which they converted into 14 points. Most notably, the Red Foxes held All-MAAC First Team player MyNeshia McKenzie to just 6 points and 6 rebounds on 2-of-7 shooting. McKenzie was held scoreless for the entire first half and did not make her first field goal until the 8:15 mark of the second half.
Fellow All-MAAC First team member Emma O’Connor led the way for the Red Foxes registering a double-double scoring a game high 23 points and picking up 12 rebounds. Sydney Coffey recorded 18 points and Madeline Blais added 14 points for Marist. Senior Casey Dulin scored her 1,000th career point in the first half of the game as well.
In a contest that Rider never led, freshman Stephanie Mason led the team with 18 points, while classmate Julia Duggan picked up a double-double scoring 17 points and registering 15 rebounds.
Marist will take on No. 4 Quinnipiac in the championship game on Monday at 2:00 p.m. on ESPNU.