Nov. 12, 2005

Final Stats

STORRS, Conn. - The Marist women's basketball team lost to #9 UConn in the first round of the Preseason WNIT at Gampel Pavilion this evening. After leading the Red Foxes just 27-24 at halftime, Ann Strother and Mel Thomas combined for 32 points in the second half to lead the Huskies to victory. Fifi Camara (Conakry, Guinea) tallied 12 points and seven rebounds to lead the Red Foxes.

Connecticut opened up the game on a 12-4 run, with buckets from five different players. A big three by Camara pulled the Red Foxes within five and several key defensive stops would bring the score to 16-11, Huskies at 10:02. UConn's Barbara Turner made one of two free throws to put her team up 17-11 at 9:04 and neither team would score again for three and a half minutes.

A Charde Houston layup took UConn's lead to 19-11, but Marist went on a 9-2 run sparked by seven points by Nikki Flores (Montvale, N.J.), to bring the score to 21-20, UConn. The Huskies got back up 25-20 before adding a pair of free throws by Thomas; but redshirt sophomore Meg Dalhman (Spencerport, N.Y.) hit two layups to pull Marist within three, 27-24 at the break. The Red Foxes outrebounded the Huskies 22-19 in the first half.

UConn scored five straight to open the second half, but back-to-back threes from Camara and Alisa Kresge (Holmdel, N.J.) pulled Marist within two, 32-30 at 15:40. The Huskies went on a 9-0 run during the next four minutes to lead 41-30. Redshirt freshman Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) nailed consecutive treys to pull the Foxes within five, 41-36 with 10:17 remaining.

The Huskies went on a tear, holding Marist to just four points, all off free throws, during the next nine minutes. Strother and Thomas took over late in the half and Nicole Woolf ended scoring for Connecticut with a jumper at 1:24. Sophomore Alexis Waters (Lansing, Mich.) hit a three as soon as she entered the game and Flores nailed a jumper to take the final to 71-45, UConn.

Camara's seven rebounds were a team-high. Dahlman joined her in double-figures with 10 points and five rebounds in her first collegiate game since redshirting the 2004-05 season. Flores picked up nine points and four rebounds, and added a team-high three assists and two steals.

Thomas posted a game-high 23 points for the Huskies while Strother finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. UConn held the final rebounding advantage, 39-32. Marist was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line while UConn struggled at 7-16.

The Red Foxes are back in action on Friday when they host Villanova in their home-opener at 7:00 p.m. at the McCann Center.