ALBANY, NY – A 23-2 run over almost a 10-minute span in the second quarter pushed the Siena Saints women's basketball team to a 33-32 halftime lead. However, the Saints would give up 46 second half points and score only 22 as they fell to the Marist Red Foxes by a final score of 78-55. Marist's Rebekah Hand would score 32 points on 14-of-17 shooting from the field.
 
Siena was led by an 18-point effort from senior Sabrina Piper, as she also added two rebounds, an assist, block, and steal. Junior Rayshel Brown scored 10 points with a pair of rebounds and steals, and an assist. Sophomores Lala Watts and Amari Anthony each scored eight points, with Anthony grabbing a team-high three steals and Watts scoring two blocks. Watts is now tied for third most blocks in a single season with Gunta Basko at 49 total.
 
Along with Hand's performance, Alana Gilmer would put up a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while adding five assists. Grace Vander Weide tossed out 11 assists and snared six rebounds. Willow Duffel would add a team-high three blocks in the victory.
 
Marist opened an early 9-0 lead, and even took a 19-4 lead with 3:50 left in the first quarter. But from that point, the Saints would go on their biggest run of the season. Catapulted by back-to-back-to-back three pointers in three straight possessions, the Saints ended the quarter on a 15-0 run, tying the game 19-19 after Piper scored a layup with just seconds on the clock. Piper would be the key in the run, scoring 12 points alone in the first 10 minutes.
 
Siena's run didn't end there, as they scored the first two baskets of the second quarter to top out their run at 19-0 before a Rebekah Hand jumper broke the streak. The Saints held Marist scoreless over a span of 6:28, and to only one basket over nearly a 10-minute span as the run would reach a 23-2 mark.  
 
Anthony would score back-to-back jumpers to give the Saints their biggest lead of the day with a 27-21 score with 4:47 to play in the second. That would be the end of the 23-2 run, as it was a back-and -forth match over the final minutes of the quarter. Both sides traded jabs as the halfway point approached, with Hand having the last say hitting a three-pointer in the final seconds. Despite the triple, Siena would hold a 33-32 lead.

The first two minutes of the third quarter, Anthony and Brown each hit shots to match the Red Foxes offensively, as they Saints hung onto the one point lead. However, a 12-0 Marist run over the next five minutes quickly gave the Red Foxes an 11 point lead, which grew to 13 by the end of the third quarter. The Red Foxes did not look back from that, keeping the offense going in the fourth through the final horn.
 
Siena would trail the Red Foxes 42-36 in points in the paint, while Marist would score 24 points off turnovers and 22 on second chance points throughout the game.
 
The Green and Gold return to the floor on Thursday, Feb. 20 when they head to New Rochelle to take on the Iona Gaels for the first time this season. Tip-off for the game at the newly renovated Hynes Center is set for 7 p.m.