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LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. -- Siena Women's Basketball could not have scripted a much more satisfying way to earn the program's milestone 500th Division I victory. Freshman guard Jackie Benitez scored a game-high 21 points off the bench to lead the Saints to a 60-56 triumph over rival Marist at the ARC, as Siena snapped a 25-game losing streak in the series with its first victory over the perennial MAAC power in 12 years.

Symone Kelly hit the go-ahead free throws with 15.2 seconds remaining for Siena (13-16, 10-9) which achieved its first win in the series since a 56-50 overtime triumph in Poughkeepsie on Dec. 3, 2004. Kelly tallied 10 points and 11 rebounds as the senior posted her third career double-double spanning the past seven games.

MAAC Player of the Year frontrunner Tori Jarosz recorded her 23rd double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three blocks for a nationally renowned Marist (14-15, 13-6) program which has captured the MAAC Championship 10 times in the past 12 years and advanced to national postseason play in each of the last 10 seasons.

Sophomore forward Emmanuella Edoka added seven points and career-highs of 15 rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes off the bench for the Saints which got back on track in snapping a six-game losing streak. Edoka and Benitez fueled Siena's reserves which outscored the Red Foxes' second unit 32-2.

Marist led by as many as nine points early, but the Saints ended the first quarter on an 11-4 run to rally within 19-17. The Red Foxes seemed destined to take a two-possession lead into the half, but Benitez beat the buzzer with a three-quarter court heave to pull Siena within 31-28 at the break. Benitez finished 5-8 from distance for Siena which received all 11 of its second quarter points from its bench.

The third quarter nearly mirrored the first quarter in that Marist quickly built a nine-point lead, but another 11-4 quarter-ending run drew the Saints even at 47-all heading into the final 10-minute stanza.

Neither team led by more than a possession until the final second of the fourth quarter as the sides exchanged leads four times over the final 10 minutes. Benitez canned a huge left baseline three that erased Marist's final lead and put the Saints back in front 56-54 with 1:13 to go.

Sydney Coffey knotted the score one final time on a driving layup for Marist with 44.3 seconds remaining, but on the ensuing possession Siena reclaimed the lead for good. After Denisha Petty-Evans shot was off the mark, Kelly corralled the offensive rebound, was fouled and hit the decisive free throws.

The Saints dominated the low post throughout, out-rebounding Marist 43-30 while also holding a 28-10 advantage in points in the paint. Siena pulled down 19 of their caroms off the offensive glass which led to a 17-4 margin in second chance points.

The Red Foxes had two chances on the next possession, but a pair of Jarosz shots went begging and the Saints corralled the rebound with seventh tenths of a second left. Freshman guard Deja Rawls then iced it with two free throws as Siena picked up its first win over Marist in the Capital Region since Jan. 19, 2004 and first at the ARC since Feb. 28, 2003.

Claire Oberdorf finished with 12 points and Coffey added 11 for Marist which secured the No. 3 seed in the MAAC Tournament with their defeat. The Saints and Red Foxes could meet again in a week in Albany as Siena can still be seeded anywhere from 5-7. Each of the top-five seeds receive coveted first round byes.

The Saints conclude regular season action Saturday when they host Niagara for Senior Day at the ARC at 2 p.m. The program will hold a special pregame ceremony for its lone senior player Kelly, senior manager Emily Darcy, and junior guard Emia Willingham who plans to graduate in May.