SCORE: UAlbany 49, Marist 39
 
LOCATION: Broadview Center - Albany, N.Y.
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 7-2, 0-0 America East | Marist 2-7, 0-0 MAAC
 
SHORT STORY: Owning a strong defense through three quarters, the Great Danes' offense blossomed in the fourth to come from behind and secure a double-digit point victory over the Red Foxes, Saturday afternoon.
 
COACH COLLEEN MULLEN: "I am so proud of the way we played to win tonight and that our defensive effort was on point. To be able to beat a perennial powerhouse in mid-major basketball is a big accomplishment for this team. Tonight, our shots were not falling consistently, but we were able to show a lot of fight and resiliency down the stretch. Kayla Cooper was terrific at both ends and showed tremendous leadership."
 
KEY STATS

• Senior Kayla Cooper led the team in all statistical categories - 23 points, 12 rebounds, four steals, three assists, three blocks, and a .563 shooting percentage (9-16).
• Graduate student Helene Haegerstrand followed with 13 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. She earned a 41.7% accuracy from the field while going 3-5 from outside the arc.
• Junior Lilly Phillips also led the team with three assists.
• As a team, the Great Danes totaled 38 rebounds and nine steals while holding the Red Foxes to .304 shooting with a 19.0% accuracy from outside the arc.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After nearly three minutes of defense, Kayla Cooper tallied the first basket with a driving layup at 7:23.
• Helene Haegerstrand tied the score about two minutes later with a three-pointer.
• After the defensive first quarter, the Great Danes led, 9-7.
• Marist came out of the break with two consecutive baskets for a 12-9 lead.
• With a 6-0 scoring run, the Great Danes reversed the advantage with a 15-12 score at 6:11.
• The defensive play continued as both teams combined for three baskets in the next four minutes.
• Tied at 17 with one minute left in the half, Marist outscored UAlbany, 4-2, to close the first half with a 21-19 advantage.
• Amping up offensive production, the Red Foxes gained the first multi-possession lead of the game with a 7-3 scoring run to open the second half.
• The Great Danes closed the scoring gap to 28-26 after tallying two consecutive layups following a timeout at 6:58 in the third.
• Returning to the defensive play of the first half, the Red Foxes tallied the only field goal in the latter half of the quarter. The Great Danes remained just one possession behind with four successful free throws during this time.
• Tallying a 6-0 scoring run and taking the lead, 36-33, UAlbany started the final quarter with a fire. Cooper scored five of those six points.
• Despite two consecutive jumpers from Marist, the Great Danes regained a multi-possession lead before taking the win.
• In the final five minutes of the contest, UAlbany allowed just two points while scoring 13.
• Closing the action with three consecutive field goals from Haegerstrand and a fast-break layup from Cooper, the Great Danes earned the 49-39 victory.

 
NEXT: The Great Danes will continue at home on Tuesday (Dec. 12). UAlbany will welcome Dartmouth for a 7 pm tipoff.
 
For more information on the University at Albany women's basketball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanywbb
Instagram & Threads - @ualbanywbb
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyWBB