The Falcon women’s basketball team (1-2) was unable to take advantage of a 10-point halftime lead Saturday, allowing Marist to score 41 second-half points in a 70-65 loss.

Three Falcons scored in double-figures, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the team’s 24.5 shooting percentage in the second half, which allowed the Red Foxes (2-1) to overcome the 10-point deficit and win the third round consolation game in the Preseason WNIT.

Marist was led by two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year Rachele Fitz, who led all scorers with 28 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.

BG was led by center Tara Breske, who scored 16 points, including a career-high three 3-pointers, and Tracy Pontius and Jen Uhl, who both added 13 points.

The Falcons started the game strong, pushing the lead to 11 five and a half minutes into the game and extending it to 16 after Uhl made three three-pointers in a span of 67 seconds late in the first half.

Marist cut into that lead to 10 with three field goals in the final 1:39 of the half, and continued chipping away at the deficit through the first 10 minutes of the season half, regaining the lead with 10:19 left in the game.

The Falcons briefly retook the lead and tied the game three times after that, but five Marist points in the game’s final minute sealed the victory.

BG coach Curt Miller has said more than once this season that learning from the tough road games in the non-conference schedule will help his team prepare for the Mid-American Conference season, which begins in January.

And it doesn’t get any easier for BG, as they travel to Oakland (Mich.) tomorrow for a 6:30 p.m. contest with the Grizzlies (1-3).’