At long last, the losing streak is over. After 10 straight losses, Marist women’s basketball earned their first win in nearly two months, besting Rider 65-55 in their first conference win this season.
“We have a really resilient group. This stretch has not been easy on any of us, especially our two seniors because they just want it so bad,” said Marist head coach Erin Doughty during the ESPN postgame interview.
The game was a tight affair throughout, and the Red Foxes (3-11, 1-3 MAAC) managed to put it out of reach late against the Broncs (4-9, 1-3 MAAC). Senior forward Zaria Shazer led the way for Marist, scoring a game-high 27 points on 10-20 shooting; she also grabbed 8 rebounds. Senior point guard Kiara Fisher had a shaky night shooting the ball, but found other ways to contribute with 9 rebounds and 5 assists to go along with 13 points scored.
Marist also received key contributions from their role players. Sophomore forward Ciara Croker set her teammates up on several key scoring plays, and junior guard Catie Cunningham gave a max-effort performance, earning tough rebounds and playing stifling defense. Unfortunately for Cunningham, her night ended with three minutes remaining when she exited play with a concerning back injury.
Rider graduate student guards Taylor Langan and Jessica Schiffer paced the Broncs with 13 points apiece, with Langan earning 13 rebounds and Schiffer draining three 3-pointers. Collectively, the Broncs shot under 40% from the field, as numerous players struggled to score efficiently.
After Shazer opened the scoring with a pair of free throws, she followed it up with a midrange shot to give Marist a 4-1 lead. Cunningham made her first hustle play of the night moments later, getting the offensive rebound inside and making a layup.
A jumper and a driving layup from Croker staked Marist out to a 10-7 lead in the late moments of the first quarter; a nifty layup from Rider junior guard Mariona Cos-Morales made it 12-11 in favor of Marist after one.
In the second quarter, Marist sophomore guard Lexie Tarul missed a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, but Croker crashed the boards for the rebound and drew the foul, making one of her free throws to tie the game.
After a Cunningham steal, Marist had a chance to take the lead on the fast break, but Shazer ended the possession with a missed layup. Moments later, Tarul gave her team the lead; this time, she sank her 3-point shot.
After Marist led 18-13 midway through the second, Rider went on an 8-0 run to reclaim a 21-18 lead. Marist regained the lead heading into halftime, as Fisher found Corsentino open beyond the arc, and the freshman guard made the 3-pointer to put her team back in front 23-21. Both teams shot under 32% from the field in the first half.
Marist came out of the locker room with energy, as Tarul immediately buried a catch-and-shoot three. Fisher pushed the pace up the floor on the next possession, and great ball movement among the Red Foxes ended with a Shazer midrange make, putting Marist up 28-21.
Schiffer then announced her presence, dialing one up from distance to cut into the Marist lead. Shazer responded again, sinking in a rare three-ball to put Marist back up by seven. Schiffer held serve, returning the favor with a three of her own on the other end, which prompted Doughty to call a timeout.
With her team up by four, Cunningham used her size advantage over Langen on the inside to prevent her from scoring a layup. She then made yet another hustle play, grabbing an offensive board and kicking it out to Fisher, who swished a 3-pointer. The three was much needed for Fisher, who has struggled shooting from deep this season after being a reliable deep threat a year ago.
Croker continued to make her mark, sending an anticipatory feed inside to set Shazer up for a wide-open layup. The duo went to work again on the next possession, with Croker making a strong interior pass to Shazer, who used the glass to score. Yet another layup from Shazer moments later gave her 19 points on the night and Marist a 43-36 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
“[It’s] people like Ciara Croker coming out and being able to give us energy and not having a lapse,” said Shazer during the ESPN postgame interview.
Croker capped off her strong playmaking quarter by assisting Corsentino on a cutter, and Fisher closed out the third quarter by going coast-to-coast, putting Marist up 47-40 with one quarter remaining. Collectively, the Red Foxes shot 63% from the field during the third quarter, a marked improvement from their performance in the first half.
To start the fourth, senior guard Molly Lynch drilled a three for Rider, drawing the Broncs within four. The Broncs continued attacking the interior with Marist sophomore center Morgan Lee on the floor, and a layup from freshman guard Aliya McCulver drew Rider within three with less than five minutes to go.
Down the stretch, Shazer and Fisher led the way in finishing things off for the Red Foxes. Shazer made a couple of shots inside, including one that was assisted by Fisher. With just over three minutes remaining, a Fisher free throw put Marist up 57-49, their largest lead of the night.
On the next possession, gameplay paused when Cunningham slammed to the ground. Writhing in pain, she clutched her lower back for an extended period of time. Eventually, she walked off the floor under her own power.
Despite the Cunningham injury, Marist held on down the stretch for the 10-point victory. The Red Foxes will go back to work on Saturday at McCann Arena, as they are set to welcome Niagara. Despite an uneven overall record of 6-9, the Purple Eagles have held their own in MAAC conference play with a 3-2 conference record.
Edited by Jimmy Tsiantoulas
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
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