Foxes to dance for fifth straight time
Phil Terrigno
Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: News
It comes down to personnel that can overcome adversity.
And although the other nine teams in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) might want to believe otherwise, the Marist College women's basketball team has it.
Even with the preseason loss of 15 point-per-game scorer Julianne Viani after graduation last May, the most conference losses since the 2003-2004 season, and a slew of upstart MAAC teams looking to dethrone them, the Red Foxes captured their fifth consecutive MAAC title at the 2010 MAAC Tournament in Albany, N.Y.
Using an 11-0 run late in the first half of play to establish a lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game, Marist defeated the third seeded Fairfield Stags to advance to the NCAA Division 1 women's basketball tournament.
"A lot of people, I think, doubted us," Marist senior and MAAC Player of The Year Rachele Fitz said. "They didn't think our team could win a championship. It made us want to come out there and prove everyone wrong."
The Red Foxes' offense was effective in the contest, getting 17 points from Corielle Yare and 15 from Fitz, but it was Marist's defensive play that allowed the squad to capture the tournament title.
Allowing just 85 combined points in its first two games at the MAAC tournament, Marist played stifling defense and held the Stags to just one field goal over the final five and a half minutes of the game.
In a similar fashion against its opponents in games one and two, Marist held Canisius and Niagara scoreless for periods of 8:43 and 4:14, respectively.
"We talked all weekend that defense was going to carry us," Giorgis said. "I don't think our kids get enough credit for their defense because they've led the conference in scoring."
Giorgis, along with Fairfield coach Joe Frager were forced to enter into a strategic coaching battle in regards to two of each team's premier players.
For Marist, Fitz was hampered early by foul trouble and was forced to sit at the same time as Fairfield forward Stephanie Geehan.
And although the other nine teams in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) might want to believe otherwise, the Marist College women's basketball team has it.
Even with the preseason loss of 15 point-per-game scorer Julianne Viani after graduation last May, the most conference losses since the 2003-2004 season, and a slew of upstart MAAC teams looking to dethrone them, the Red Foxes captured their fifth consecutive MAAC title at the 2010 MAAC Tournament in Albany, N.Y.
Using an 11-0 run late in the first half of play to establish a lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game, Marist defeated the third seeded Fairfield Stags to advance to the NCAA Division 1 women's basketball tournament.
"A lot of people, I think, doubted us," Marist senior and MAAC Player of The Year Rachele Fitz said. "They didn't think our team could win a championship. It made us want to come out there and prove everyone wrong."
The Red Foxes' offense was effective in the contest, getting 17 points from Corielle Yare and 15 from Fitz, but it was Marist's defensive play that allowed the squad to capture the tournament title.
Allowing just 85 combined points in its first two games at the MAAC tournament, Marist played stifling defense and held the Stags to just one field goal over the final five and a half minutes of the game.
In a similar fashion against its opponents in games one and two, Marist held Canisius and Niagara scoreless for periods of 8:43 and 4:14, respectively.
"We talked all weekend that defense was going to carry us," Giorgis said. "I don't think our kids get enough credit for their defense because they've led the conference in scoring."
Giorgis, along with Fairfield coach Joe Frager were forced to enter into a strategic coaching battle in regards to two of each team's premier players.
For Marist, Fitz was hampered early by foul trouble and was forced to sit at the same time as Fairfield forward Stephanie Geehan.
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