Shooting 33.3% from both the field and the 3-point line, the Marist Red Foxes pushed Monmouth to overtime in the final game of their five-game homestead, but lost 72-64.
Despite the team’s comeback in the fourth quarter to extend the game, the Red Foxes were defeated by their own turnovers, handing Monmouth their first Division I win of the season.
In the first 10 minutes of play in McCann Arena, the Red Foxes gave up seven turnovers. Monmouth used those possession swings to their advantage, scoring 12 points off the Red Foxes’ mistakes by the second quarter.
“In the first half, we were letting the physicality dictate what we did,” said redshirt-senior guard Lexie Tarul. “In the second half, we settled in and ran our stuff, ran at our pace and that helped limit our turnovers.”
Despite shooting 50% from both the field and beyond the 3-point line in the first 10 minutes, leading the Hawks 14-13, Marist struggled in the second quarter.
“We were shooting 50% and lost seven possessions that we did not get a chance to score on,” said head coach Erin Doughty. “We need to capitalize because our defense was also overall good until overtime.”
Monmouth opened the second, continuing their full denial defense at half-court. With the turnovers continuing and the Red Foxes failing to find the back door on offense, the Hawks pulled away.
To end the first half, Monmouth led the Red Foxes on a 15-8 run, gaining their first lead of the game.
Junior forward Karly Fischer claimed five of the eight Red Fox points in the second, including her third 3-pointer of the season.
Freshman guard Madalena Amaro took charge on both sides of the court for Monmouth, recording 11 rebounds, seven assists and four points.
With a six-point lead at the half, the Hawks continued to up the pressure; the Red Foxes failed to control the ball against the defense in the half-court.
Junior forward Alexis Davis and senior guard Alexis Andrews each recorded 10 points by the mid-third quarter.
“We should not have been in that hole to begin with,” said Doughty. “The first quarter we had too many turnovers, the second quarter we missed too many shots and then the third and fourth quarters we used our energy to crawl back.”
Since transferring from Fairfield, Fischer has not been afraid to shoot the ball. Leading the team in both shots and points, Fischer shot 8-for-21 and 1-for-5 from the 3-point line and sparked Marist’s fourth-quarter comeback.
Tarul played gritty, off-ball offense and defense for Marist. She snuck in behind the Hawks to record a new career high of 10 rebounds, etching in a double-double with a matching 10 points.
Sophomore guard Danielle Williamsen continued where she left off with a season high last game against Stony Brook. With a little over two minutes left in play, Williamsen drove to the basket on the weak side and tied the score at 50.
The Red Foxes’ leading scorer, freshman forward Justine Henry, who averages 14.2 points per game, had trouble finding her shot against Monmouth. Henry ended the Red Foxes’ loss, shooting 4-for-14 and 0-for-3 from deep, with four of her points coming in overtime.
Henry tied the game at 52 off a 10-foot turnaround with 46 seconds remaining, but 10 seconds later, Fischer, the only healthy true post for the Red Foxes, fouled out for the second time this season, leaving the Red Foxes in a mismatch for the remainder of play.
Sophomore guard Elle Bruschuk is replacing Fischer to play the five, but Monmouth used the clock to their advantage, finding junior forward Divine Dabula for the mismatch and putting one over Bruschuk.
With seven seconds left, down 54-57, Doughty called a timeout for one last play call.
Senior guard Jackie Piddock found Tarul right outside the arc. The senior faked a shot, moving the defense, then nailed a balanced 3-pointer, sending the Red Foxes to overtime.
However, the Hawks promptly ran away with the game in overtime, outscoring the 15-7.
“Giving up 15 points in five minutes is just too many, after we had just gotten stops for the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter,” said Doughty. “The two things that got us are the two things that we have talked about being issues for us, which are turnovers and rebounds.”
Junior guard Gigi Gamble was 0-for-7 heading into overtime and ended those five extra minutes with 10 points and 2-for-2 from the 3-point line.
The Red Foxes recorded 16 turnovers in the team’s loss, with the Hawks scoring 20 points off of them. Up next is Marist’s toughest matchup in years: the No. 5-ranked LSU Tigers at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Graphic by Cara Lacey
Photo by Quinn DiFiore
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