The Marist Red Foxes fell to the Siena Saints by double digits on Jan. 30 in the Route Nine rivalry, 62-46. Siena had a deadly trio of guards with 14 plus points: senior Anajah Brown (17 points, nine rebounds), junior Teresa Seppala (16 points, 4-4 FT) and graduate student Ahniysha Jackson (14 points).
Junior center Morgan Lee finished the contest with 19 points and 11 rebounds, good for her fifth double-double of the season. She also added four blocks in the loss. Down the stat sheet showed a rough shooting day for the Red Foxes: 16-for-50 on field-goal attempts, including an off night for redshirt junior Lexie Tarul, who shot 2-for-8 from the perimeter.
Marist got off to an 8-0 start to begin the contest, but the Saints came out of the first media timeout scoring six straight.
The Red Foxes were looking to get junior center Morgan Lee involved early with high screens and low-block feeds, but she couldn’t buy a bucket. She missed three layups in a row, although the Saints couldn’t capitalize.
Marist’s defensive game plan was evident: limit fouls. Siena however was not on the same page. They put the Red Foxes in the bonus with 3:50 left in the first quarter, including a foul on a 3-point attempt.
One key bright spot for the Red Foxes early was the defensive prowess of junior forward Ciara Croker. She was sturdy on the block and kept the Saints’ primary scoring option, Sepalla, in check.
To end the first quarter, Siena forward Anajah Brown took a big hit down low, but still buried the bucket, resulting in an and-one attempt. She then made the free throw, cutting the Red Foxes’ lead to just two.
The Route Nine rivalry was in full effect. It was a competitive first quarter, one that the Red Foxes had the advantage for.
Anajah Brown kicked off the second quarter with a steal and a bucket for the Saints, tying the game at 13. A 13-5 run fueled Siena, coming out of the media timeout firing on all cylinders, playing hard defensively and jumping on loose balls all over.
As both teams traded blows offensively, the focus of the game shifted to elite transition scoring from the Saints. They continued to push the pace throughout the backend of the first half, causing clear confusion for the Red Foxes. A Lee 3-pointer put Marist up three with two minutes left in the first half.
Brown then took over for the Saints. She capped off her 11-point, three-rebound first half with a strip of Ciara Croker, leading to a Saints triple that put them up 28-25 heading into halftime.
After sitting out the entire second quarter due to foul trouble, Jackson hit a triple for the Saints to kick off the second half, but junior guard Jackie Piddock carved her way through Siena’s defense to sink a floater.
The two teams went back and forth early in the third quarter, including a Morgan Lee 3-pointer and a Jackson jumper. Jackson started to heat up in the second half, finishing the contest with 14 points in just 23 minutes.
Jackson’s explosive third quarter for the Saints came after plenty of rest in the second. Her deep 3-point ball gave Siena their three-point lead back heading into the first media timeout of the third.
Siena continued to sizzle in the third, opening up their lead to 10 with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter. Anajah Brown’s 15th point and fourth turnaround layup forced a Red Fox timeout.
Sophomore guard Julia Corsentino continued to look for the backdoor pass that she has somewhat patented this season, but Siena seemed to know what was coming every time.
Brown recorded her 100th career block on a Danielle Williamsen drive that was stuffed by the Saint. Williamsen didn’t fill out the stat sheet, but the Red Fox freshman guard moved well without the ball, creating space for her teammates.
With just under five minutes left, Siena started to crowd Morgan Lee in the paint, leading to a handful of Red Fox turnovers.
Siena’s perimeter defense was on full display all night long, notching 11 steals in the game. This was one of the most complete efforts that the Saints have had all season and it looked like they were ready for postseason play.
Marist couldn’t get the three to fall, shooting just 5-18 from beyond the arc, a crucial complement to Lee’s post-play to create success. Siena’s seventh straight win against the Red Foxes puts them over .500.
Marist will face the conference-undefeated Fairfield Stags at home on Feb. 6. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Edited by Dan Aulbach
Photo From Kira Crutcher
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