ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Manhattan women’s basketball controlled the floor in the first round of the MAAC Women’s Basketball Tournament, sending Marist back to Poughkeepsie on the first day of play with a final score of 64-55.
At halftime, with Marist down 11, there were whispers through Jim Wheelan Boardwalk Hall to not count this Red Fox team out. Last year, they nearly did the impossible by erasing a 27-point deficit. This year, what if the Red Foxes finished the job and win the program’s first postseason game since winning it all in 2021?
But the second half did not roll out like last year – they never cut the lead down to one possession. Last year’s hero, sophomore guard Danielle Williamsen, sat looking on in sweat pants while the Jaspers pulled away.
The game had three major themes: fouls, turnovers and Manhattan senior guard Brianna Davis. A game between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds, expected to be close and a little sloppy, turned into a fouling frenzy and a 19-point first half from Davis.
With six minutes and 25 seconds on the clock in the first quarter, head coach Erin Doughty called for a timeout, with Marist having more fouls (four) and turnovers (three) than points on the board (zero).
Davis, who recently received All-MAAC Second Team honors, took no time to heat up, putting the Jaspers on the board almost immediately. Davis ended the first half shooting 7-for-11 from the field, 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and a perfect 3-for-3 from the line.
In the team’s last two matchups, the Red Foxes held Davis to below double-digits, stopping her from making plays on the inside.
“We struggled offensively, and it always was at the same time as we struggled defensively… that was the first quarter for us,” said Doughty. “We went away from a lot of our principles. We needed more help on drives, and we knew that was what they were going to do. The start of the game really got us.”
Both teams had double-digit team fouls by the halftime buzzer as the Red Foxes had 11, with freshman Justine Henry in foul trouble early with three and receiving her fourth personal foul in the opening minutes of the third quarter.
“In the first five minutes, we saw that it was going to be called pretty tightly,” said Doughty. “For both teams, it is tough because we both did not have a ton of people available. Unfortunate for us, it was Justine, Ciara [Croker], Karly [Fischer] and we need two of those kids out there,” said Doughty.
Marist struggled to get shots to drop, shooting 8-for-29 from the field and just one three-pointer in the first half.
Ranked at the top of the NCAA for free throw percentages for most of this season, a chunk of the Red Foxes’ points came from the charity stripe due to the constant fouling. Shooting 19-25 from the line, but one-point baskets could not save the Red Foxes’ season.
“We had to adjust, and I thought as the game went on, it got better. We took more free throws, so I can not really complain, but it was definitely physical,” said Doughty.
Marist’s closest deficits throughout the entire 40-minute game came in the first four minutes of the first quarter, when Tarul pulled up for a second-chance jumper to make the score 9-2 and the last minute of the fourth quarter with a driving layup from sophomore guard Julia Corsentino to bring the score within five at 60-55.
In a full-court press, Marist rattled the Jaspers in the closing minutes, but with Davis playing with positive momentum, Marist’s season would come to an end in its first-round game in Atlantic City for the fifth year in a row.
Davis ended with 25 points, followed by senior guard Hana Muhl’s season best 12 points, six assists and five rebounds.
The Red Foxes ended the game shooting below 30%, with 17-for-59 from the field and a season low 2-for-23 from deep.
“Our group is not built to win games when we are shooting 2-for-23 from three. We are a three point team; we need to be above seven, eight 3-pointers a game. Just by the skills of our players, one a half is not going to get it done,” said Doughty.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Marist trailed 43-56, with Henry leading the charge for the Red Foxes with nine points and five rebounds, followed by Tarul, a common theme of the season.
Tarul was a key factor in Henry’s decision to come to Marist, and the two provided consistency on the floor that the Red Foxes needed desperately.
“I knew she [Henry] was destined for something great. She has so much more to her journey so I am really excited to see how it plays out,” said Tarul.
The first round exit marks senior guard Jackie Piddock, forward Ciara Croker and Tarul’s last game wearing Marist across their chest.
Marist’s roster holds a bunch of question marks, as the team looks to the offseason without a core group.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo and graphic from Jaylen Rizzo
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