Final Stats

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Marist beat Siena Women's Basketball for the 24th time in a row Sunday, but the gap between the programs has begun to narrow. After playing Marist to a 10-point game two weeks ago, Siena battled the nine-time defending MAAC Champions to a 65-58 defeat at McCann Arena. The seven-point margin was the closest between the programs during Marist's streak.

Siena (10-7, 3-5) received big contributions from its freshmen Margot Hetzke and Kollyns Scarbrough in the encouraging effort. Hetzke led all scorers with 16 points and six rebounds and Scarbrough added 13 points and a season-high tying eight caroms.

Sydney Coffey and Tori Jarosz scored 14 points apiece for Marist (11-6, 7-1) and Madeline Blais added 12 for the Red Foxes which have won 10 of their last 11. Jarosz and Blais combined for nine blocks for Marist which improved to 91-4 in its last 95 MAAC games including conference tournament play.

In a seesaw first half that featured four ties and seven lead changes, Siena scored the first nine points of the game with Marist answering with the next 12. Scarbrough then went on a personal 10-0 run of her own, capped by back-to-back threes to put the Saints back in front 21-15 at the 8:40 mark.

But in a first half of major runs Marist would score the next seven points and take a 39-31 lead at the break.

The Saints held the Red Foxes without a field goal for more than eight minutes early in the second half, spurring an 8-1 run to pull even at 39 with 11:10 to play.

But the final run belonged to Marist. The Red Foxes responded with a 13-2 run over the next three and a half minutes to go back up double figures. Siena battled back, but couldn't muster enough late offensively to overcome the MAAC's top scoring defense. Turnovers again played a role for Siena which committed 21 miscues leading to 24 Marist points.

Sophomore captain Meghan Donohue added 10 points and five rebounds for the Saints which saw their longest road winning streak in a dozen years snapped at five. All seven of Siena's losses this season have come against programs that all won 21 or more games last year and competed in national postseason tournaments.

Siena concludes a grueling stretch where they play five of six on the road Thursday at Monmouth. The Saints and Hawks are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. in West Long Branch, N.J.