Preview: Marist Red Foxes at Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers EMMITSBURG, Md. (Interstat) — Two teams looking to build momentum before conference play begins will meet Friday when the Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers host the Marist Red Foxes in a nonconference women’s basketball game at Knott Arena. The Mountaineers (4-5) enter on a two-game winning streak after an 81-52 home victory over Mercyhurst on Monday. Nyodie Guerard was a standout in that win, contributing 10 points and seven assists in 23 minutes. Her recent emergence provides a boost for a Mount Saint Mary’s squad that has shown resilience at home, going 3-1 in Emmitsburg this season. Marist (3-7) seeks to end a three-game skid, most recently a 58-69 loss at Binghamton on Dec. 13. The Red Foxes have relied heavily on guard Lexie Tarul, who scored a season-high 24 points in that defeat. Over her last five games, Tarul is averaging 13.2 points while logging heavy minutes, including a 40-minute outing in an overtime loss to Monmouth on Nov. 24. Both teams have endured challenging stretches. The Mountaineers’ losses include a 44-92 defeat at Maryland on Dec. 3, while Marist suffered a 60-point road loss at BYU (53-113) on Nov. 28. Friday’s contest represents a more evenly matched opportunity for each side. The game could hinge on backcourt production. Tarul’s scoring punch for Marist will be countered by the facilitating of Mount Saint Mary’s Guerard, who dished out seven assists in her last outing. Marist’s Justine Henry, who had 15 points against Binghamton, provides secondary scoring. This is the final nonconference tune-up for both programs before each embarks on its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule later this month. Mount Saint Mary’s will host Iona on Sunday, while Marist returns home to face Quinnipiac the same day. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST Friday at Knott Arena.