EMMITSBURG, Md. (Interstat) — Gabrielle Kennerly scored 23 points and Mount Saint Mary’s withstood a furious fourth-quarter rally to defeat Marist 66-59 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Friday night at Knott Arena.

The Mountaineers, who led by as many as 19 points, saw their lead shrink to just four in the final minutes before securing the victory in front of 466 fans. The win improved Mount Saint Mary’s to 5-5 on the season, while Marist fell to 3-8.

The game turned on a dominant first quarter by the Mountaineers and a dramatic shift in offensive execution in the final period. Mount Saint Mary’s blitzed the Red Foxes from the opening tip, racing to a 23-11 lead after the first 10 minutes. Kennerly, a 5-foot-9 guard from Charlotte, North Carolina, was the catalyst, scoring 10 points in the opening frame. She finished with a game-high 23 points in 26 minutes, adding four assists.

Marist struggled to find any offensive rhythm early, committing six turnovers in the first quarter while the Mountaineers shot efficiently from the field. The lead ballooned to 39-24 at halftime and reached 57-38 with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter after a free throw by Berlynn Carlson, who finished with nine points.

The most important part of the game, however, was Marist’s relentless fourth-quarter push. Trailing by 16 points to start the final period, the Red Foxes unleashed a 21-9 quarter, fueled by defensive pressure and improved shot-making. A jump shot by Danielle Williamsen, who led Marist with 11 points, cut the deficit to 62-58 with just over six minutes to play, capping a 20-5 run that spanned the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters.

Mount Saint Mary’s offense, so fluid for three quarters, went cold at the worst possible time. The Mountaineers managed only nine points in the fourth quarter, missing eight consecutive field goal attempts during one critical stretch and committing five turnovers against Marist’s heightened defensive intensity.

Just when the comeback seemed imminent, the Mountaineers made the necessary plays to stem the tide. After Williamsen’s basket made it a four-point game, Kennerly answered with a driving layup on the next possession to push the lead back to six. Marist then had several opportunities to draw closer but came up empty on consecutive trips, including a missed three-pointer and a turnover.

A layup by Lenora Nkangwen with 4:25 to play gave Mount Saint Mary’s a 66-59 lead, which proved to be the final points of the game for either team. Both sides went scoreless for the remainder of the contest, with Marist missing its final five field goal attempts as the Mountaineers held on.

Alana Powell provided key support for Mount Saint Mary’s with six points, four assists and a block. Teodora Ivanovic added 10 points off the bench. For Marist, Jackie Piddock and Ciara Croker each scored eight points, with Piddock adding three assists. Lexie Tarul also had six points and four assists.

The victory continued a positive stretch for Mount Saint Mary’s, which has won three of its last four games. Kennerly’s performance followed strong outings of 17 points in wins over Mercyhurst and Lehigh earlier in December.

Marist, which entered the game having lost four of its last five, showed significant fight in the second half but could not overcome its slow start. The Red Foxes have been involved in several close games this season, with three of their losses coming by single digits and two requiring overtime.

Mount Saint Mary’s finished the game shooting 41% from the field, while Marist shot 36%. The Mountaineers won the rebounding battle 42-35 and scored 15 points off 18 Marist turnovers.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Mount Saint Mary’s was projected with an 82.6% probability to win the contest.

Mount Saint Mary’s will look to build on the win when it hosts Iona on Sunday. Marist, concluding a difficult stretch of its schedule, returns home to face Quinnipiac, also on Sunday.