Bridgeport, CT - The Marist College Red Foxes defeated the Iona College women's basketball team by a score of 64-57 to become repeat MAAC Champions.
Tiara Headen paced the Gaels with 15 points and nine rebounds, while
Martina Weber added 12 points and 10 boards for her second double-double of the weekend.
Regan Pettijohn and
Lauren DeFalco contributed ten points each. Headen, Weber and DeFalco were named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team for their efforts in the three games this weekend.
For the Red Foxes, Meg Dahlman led with a game-high 21 points, followed by Rachele Fitz's 19 points and eight rebounds.
Iona led for the first 5:26 of the contest, opening a 2-0 score with a basket by Weber. At the 17:02 mark, Pettijohn broke a through a thick shield to deposit a layup for a 7-4 Gael edge.
Fitz scored back-to-back two-pointers for Marist, then sunk 2-of-2 from the line to put the Red Foxes up 10-8 with 13:29 on the clock. Jessica Anger knocked one in off the glass to tie the score, but Marist surged ahead once again with a bucket by Alisa Kresge.
The Red Foxes maintained the advantage through the rest of the first half. DeFalco netted a three-point shot as she was sent to the ground with eight seconds left in the period to send the game into the second half with Marist up 28-23.
The Red Foxes held onto their lead for much of the second period. Weber contributed a free throw followed by a quick layup to cut the Marist advantage to two at 17:29.
Down by one with 9:17 on the clock, Headen grabbed a rebound then stole down the court for the drop-in to push the Gaels ahead by one at 41-10. A Dahlman layup took it back, followed another two spot from Headen as Iona was back up by one. Fitz came back with a bucket for the Red Foxes twenty seconds later for another Marist lead, this one lasting six minutes.
At the 2:03 mark it was Weber with the put-in for a 51-10 Iona edge. The lead was traded twice more over the ensuing minute. The Maroon & Gold were in control 53-52 when a good free throw by Julianne Viani with 52 seconds remaining tied the score, sending the game into overtime.
Marist jumped out to an early lead in the overtime period on a Dahlman layup. Viani pushed the advantage to 5 with a shot from three-point land, and Marist never looked back as they came away with the 64-57 victory and the championship trophy.
Marist freshman Rachele Fitz earned 2007 MAAC Championship MVP honors.
The Gaels season is not finished yet. Iona will find out late Monday, Mar. 12 who they will face in the 2007 Women's NIT. The team will appear in their next game that following Wednesday (Mar. 14) or Thursday (Mar. 15).
