Red Foxes Clinch MAAC Championships Berth

NIAGARA FALLS – Danielle Williamsen tallied 20 points to lead Marist women’s basketball past Niagara, 67-56, on Saturday afternoon inside the Gallagher Center. With the win, Marist has swept the Western New York trip for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
With the victory, Marist clinched a spot in the MAAC Championships held in Atlantic City in March.

Williamsen added three assists, and two steals to go along with her 20 points, while Malea Egan tallied a career-high 10 points off the bench. With the win, Marist improved to 14-12 on the season and 9-7 in the MAAC, while Niagara fell to 1-23 on the campaign and 0-16 in conference play.

First Quarter
The two sides were nearly even halfway through the opening frame, with Niagara holding a slim 10-7 lead over Marist heading into the media timeout with 4:42 left in the first. The Purple Eagles held Marist to 10 points in the first quarter, as Niagara took a 14-10 advantage into the second.

Second Quarter
After falling behind 16-10, Marist rattled off a swift 7-0 run, capped by a Jackie Piddock three-pointer to force a Niagara timeout with the Red Foxes leading 17-16.

Out of the timeout, the Marist run stretched to 23-7, as the Red Foxes carried a 33-23 lead into halftime.

Third Quarter
The Red Foxes opened the second half with a 9-4 run, forcing a Niagara timeout with Marist leading 42-27. The Marist lead reached as high as 18 points before the Purple Eagles battled back to trim the Red Foxes’ lead to 13 heading into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter
The Purple Eagles opened the fourth with a 6-2 run to trim the Marist lead to single digits before a Danielle Williamsen bucket halted the Niagara run.

The Williamsen finish sparked a 7-2 Marist run, capped by another tough finish from the finish, pushing the Red Foxes’ lead to 61-47.

The lead proved to be too much as the Red Foxes held on for the 67-56 victory.