A pair of free throws by Fitz with 11:46 remaining cut the deficit to nine. Smrdel, who consistently made big plays off the bench in postseason play, hit a three on Marist’s next possession. Then Viani took over. She drained three three-pointers in 98 seconds, and suddenly the Red Foxes had a three-point lead with 8:55 to play. With 8:30 to play, a layup by Caprice Smith cut Marist’s lead to one. The Red Foxes literally slammed the door after that. One could say they locked and deadbolted it, too, as they shut DePaul out the rest of the way and forced the Blue Demons to miss their final 15 shots. Quigley, who led the Blue Demons with 15 points, was held to 6-for-19 from the field. Marist scored the game’s last 18 points. Six came from Fitz, who scored a game-high 23 while going 10-for-13 from the field. Four came from Caron, who finished with six points, five assists, and no turnovers over 20 minutes in her first NCAA Tournament game. The final points were scored on a layup by senior Alexis Waters, and the Red Foxes had a 76-57 triumph for their third NCAA Tournament win in two years. The Red Foxes closed the game on a 32-2 run, which improved their record to 32-2 on March 22. Happy 3-2-2 day to all who celebrate!
ROUND TWO
The Red Foxes’ winning streak had reached 22, which was the nation’s longest as they entered their second round match-up with second-seeded LSU. The Tigers featured SEC Player of the Year Sylvia Fowles, who stood 6-foot-6, and won the conference’s regular-season championship. This was Marist’s seventh NCAA Tournament game in program history, and the first that was a true road game. LSU led by as much as 10 in the first half, but Viani scored eight points in the final 2:44 of the half, and Marist’s deficit was 29-27 after the first 20 minutes. The teams went back-and-forth early in the second half, and Marist still trailed by just two after Meg Dahlman’s bucket with 17:10 remaining. However, the Tigers then held the Red Foxes scoreless for nearly five minutes as their lead ran to double digits. Despite a game-high 21 points from Viani, Marist’s season came to an end with a 68-49 LSU victory. Fowles finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds and became the SEC’s all-time leading rebounder that night.
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MARIST ATHLETICS
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