NEW YORK (Interstat) — In a game defined more by grit than grace, the Marist women’s basketball team secured a hard-fought 62-57 victory over Manhattan on Saturday at Draddy Gymnasium, overcoming a significant statistical disadvantage and a late push from the Lady Jaspers.

The contest, a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference matchup played before an intimate crowd of 306, saw the visiting Red Foxes improve to 5-9 overall. Manhattan, despite a valiant effort from its interior players, fell to 1-12.

The most critical sequence unfolded in the game’s final minute. Holding a precarious 57-55 lead with just 3.6 seconds remaining, Marist’s Lexie Tarul was fouled and sent to the free-throw line. The sophomore guard from the Bronx calmly sank both attempts, extending the lead to four points and effectively sealing the outcome. Manhattan’s desperate final possession, which included multiple offensive rebounds and missed attempts, culminated only in two Hana Mühl free throws as time expired, leaving the Lady Jaspers five points short.

Marist’s victory was anchored by a standout performance from Ciara Croker. The junior from New Rochelle, New York, played a game-high 38 minutes, scoring 19 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out three assists. Her efficiency inside, particularly in the second half, provided a steadying force for a Red Foxes offense that often struggled to find consistency. Tarul matched Croker’s scoring output with 18 points of her own, including three crucial three-pointers.

For Manhattan, the story was one of missed opportunities and a complete absence from beyond the arc. The Lady Jaspers failed to connect on any of their 11 three-point attempts, a crippling flaw in a tight game. Their offense instead flowed through the paint, where Colette Mulderig and Hana Mühl were effective. Mulderig, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Scranton, Pennsylvania, was a defensive force, recording 18 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Mühl, a guard from Zagreb, Croatia, added 14 points and four assists.

Despite being outrebounded 44-34 overall and allowing 12 offensive boards to Manhattan’s seven, Marist found ways to generate key stops. The Red Foxes forced 14 Manhattan turnovers, converting them into nine points, while committing 12 turnovers of their own that led to only five points for the Lady Jaspers. Marist also won the battle at the free-throw line, making 14 of 19 attempts compared to Manhattan’s 15 of 19.

The game’s tempo was deliberate, with both teams utilizing 68 possessions. Marist posted an offensive rating of 91.1 points per 100 possessions, while Manhattan managed just 83.8. The Red Foxes shot 42.3 percent from the field on 22-of-52 shooting, while the Lady Jaspers were held to 35.6 percent on 21-of-59 shooting.

Justine Henry provided a vital spark off the bench for Marist, contributing 10 points and nine rebounds in 22 minutes. For Manhattan, Brianna Davis finished with nine points and four assists, and Kristina Juric pulled down eight rebounds.

The win marks a second consecutive victory for Marist, which edged Sacred Heart 57-55 in its previous outing. Manhattan, which had snapped a long losing streak with a win over Saint Peter’s on Jan. 1, was unable to build momentum. The result was an upset according to predictive metrics, as Interstat’s ELO system had projected Manhattan with a 73.9 percent probability to win.

Marist next travels to face Merrimack on Thursday. Manhattan continues its conference schedule on the road at Canisius, also on Thursday.