ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Marist women’s basketball almost pulled off a MAAC Tournament miracle against the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers, going down 54-27 at the 3:46 mark of the third quarter. The Red Foxes climbed all the way back to cut the deficit to one with 40 seconds remaining, but could not fully get over the hump in a 68-65 defeat.
Marist forced eight turnovers and scored 28 points in the fourth quarter alone in what would have been the third-largest comeback in NCAAW Division I history.
“What a basketball game,” said head coach Erin Doughty. “The fight our kids put up in that fourth quarter is something I won’t ever forget. I’m hoping this game propels us this summer so we hopefully feel a little different at a press conference next March.”
The near-comeback truly started to become real with a pull-up jumper from freshman guard Danielle Williamsen with 5:35 remaining. Junior forward Ciara Croker, junior guard Jackie Piddock and sophomore guard Julia Corsentino all knocked down 3-pointers to put Marist down just seven at the 2:25 mark.
Photo by Cara Lacey
The Mountaineers proceeded to travel six seconds later and Williamsen capitalized with her third 3-pointer of the game. Williamsen would later pick up a steal and finish an and-one to make it 64-62 with 1:11 to go. The freshman was a catalyst in the resurgence both on the court and as a vocal leader, tying a collegiate-high 22 points with 17 coming in the second half.
“Towards the end of the season I challenged her [Williamsen] to use her voice a little more and she has,” said Doughty. “The way they listened to her in that huddle today, I just let her go.”
Photo by Cara Lacey
Piddock delivered another 3-pointer with 40 seconds left after Mount St. Mary’s made a pair of free throws, making it 66-65. Graduate student guard Anna LeMaster could not finish a lefty-layup, giving the Red Foxes a chance to win it with 8.6 seconds remaining.
Williamsen found Corsentino, who looked to get it to junior center Morgan Lee in the paint, but redshirt junior forward Jaedyn Jamison deflected the pass. Corsentino got it back, dribbled to the baseline and took a pull-up jumper for the win, but hit the front rim, and redshirt freshman guard Gabrielle Kennerly grabbed the rebound and iced the game with two free throws for The Mount.
“It wasn’t my best game,” said Lee. “The ability from my teammates to step up and do that…it was the best thing I’ve ever seen them do.”
Mount St. Mary’s entered the fourth quarter winning 59-37, seemingly having the game locked up with sights set on a semifinal matchup with Fairfield. The lead was generated by a 12-for-24 performance from beyond the arc at the 6:21 mark of the third quarter.
LeMaster and senior guard Jo Raflo provided the majority of the damage for the Mountaineers, combining for 32 points and seven 3-pointers in the victory. Jamison secured a double-double in the win, logging 10 points and 11 rebounds, as well as coming up big on Marist’s final possession.
The Mountaineers took a 36-23 lead into the half behind a 24-point second quarter. They went 9-for-15 from the field and 6-for-9 from long range, carving up the Marist 2-3 zone defense with quick passing to find open 3-point shooters.
Photo by Cara Lacey
The Red Fox offense struggled to generate in the first half aside from a 10-0 run at the start of the game, committing 11 first-half turnovers mainly due to the Mount St. Mary’s press. They attempted just nine shots from the field in the second quarter, making three of them. The extended pressure from the Mountaineers 2-3 zone also played a role in the giveaways, forcing errant passes even after the Red Foxes broke the press.
“It’s a credit to Mount,” said Doughty. “It’s full court press, but a lot of times you beat the press and they get you in the half court.”
The Red Foxes attempted to limit turnovers in the third quarter, which they initially did, but in turn, it prevented their ability to find good shots, perhaps from getting less risky.
Marist proved a lot of people wrong this year as the five seed in the tournament, rising six spots above their projected ranking in the MAAC coaches poll. This marks four consecutive losses for the Red Foxes in their opening tournament game, and they will have to wait until the 2025-26 season for their next chance to build off the resilient effort shown in the fourth quarter
“Knowing that we’re all coming back next year, I’m telling you, watch out,” said Williamsen.
Photo by Cara Lacey
Edited by Ben Leeds
Graphic and Photos by Cara Lacey
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