March 5, 2011
Box Score
BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - Today, Erica Allenspach showed why she was named the MAAC Player of the Year. The Marist senior guard tied a career-high with 34 points and hit backbreaking shots right and left as the Red Foxes ended Siena's season 60-45 in the semifinal round of the 2011 Spark Energy MAAC Championships at Webster Bank Arena.
Siena finishes a successful campaign 14-16 - the program's most victories in seven years. Siena, which advanced to the MAAC Semifinals for the first time in four years, also finished with 11 conference wins, its highest total as well in seven seasons.
Marist, which entered the day ranked 18th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and 21st in the AP Top-25 Poll, improved to 29-2 in extending the nation's longest active winning streak to 25 games and will play No. 2 seed Loyola on Monday at 1 p.m. for the MAAC Championship.
Early on however, the five-time defending MAAC Champions were anything but a shoe-in to advance to the finals. The Saints matched the Red Foxes virtually shot for shot and forced the Marist into uncharacteristic turnovers and as a result went into the lockerroom down just three points, 25-22 in a first half that featured five ties and five lead changes.
But while the Saints did a tremendous job shutting down four of Marist's key weapons on the floor, Allenspach proved to be the biggest difference. She accounted for eight of Marist's points during a 12-2 run to start the second half as the Red Foxes built a 13-point lead, 37-24 with 14:25 remaining.
Despite the deficit, Siena continued to battle but would get no closer than 11 points the rest of the way as Allenspach, who scored 19 of her points in the second half, kept the Saints at arm's length.
Marist, which leads the nation in scoring defense, limited Siena's looks at the basket throughout as the Saints managed to shoot just 31.9% (15-for-47) from the floor and were held to just four offensive rebounds as Marist won the battle of the boards by 14 (42-28) overall.
In their final games with the Saints, seniors Serena Moore and Cathy Cockrum left everything on the floor in posting big games. Moore led the way with 17 points and a career-high five blocks, while Cockrum contributed seven points, eight rebounds and a career-high five steals in 39 sensational minutes of action.
Cockrum, who also drew the tough assignment on MAAC Third Teamer Brandy Gang, held her counterpart scoreless in 32 minutes.
Moore, who graduates as one of just 13 players in MAAC history to accumulate at least 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocks in her career, finishes 22nd all-time at Siena in scoring, fourth in blocks and 14th in rebounding.
While Moore departs, the future looks bright for Siena as several freshman shined on the big stage. Allison Mullings scored six points and added three rebounds while playing tremendous defense off the bench, as did classmate Kanika Cummings who also finished with six points.
For Marist, Allenspach finished 12-for-18 from the field including 6-for-7 from three. The rest of the Red Foxes combined to shoot just 10-for-38 (26.3%) from the floor and only 2-for-11 (18.2%) from beyond the arc.
MAAC First Team selection Corielle Yarde added a double-double for the Red Foxes with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with four assists and three steals.
