April 9, 2008

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist women's basketball team was ranked 23rd in the final ESPN/USA Today Women's College Basketball Poll, released on Wednesday. This marks the second consecutive year the Red Foxes end the season ranked in the Coaches' Poll. Marist finished the season 32-3, won their third consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament, and won an NCAA Tournament game for the second consecutive year.

Marist set a new single-season program record for wins with their 32 victories. It also set a new record for consecutive wins with 22, a streak that lasted until the Red Foxes met LSU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Red Foxes became the first team in the MAAC to go undefeated in conference play since it expanded to 10 teams, winning their fifth-straight regular-season title in the process. Marist also entered the Coaches' Poll for the first time in the regular season on Feb. 12 at number 25 and rose as high as number 20.

In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Baton Rouge, La. on March 22, Marist rode a 32-2 run in the second half to defeat tenth-seeded DePaul 76-57. Two days later, the Red Foxes fell to second-seed LSU on their home floor 68-49. LSU went on to reach the Final Four in Tampa, Fla.

The Red Foxes earned their fair share of postseason accolades. Sophomore forward Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio) was named the Pepsi MAAC Player of the Year, as well as being named to the First Team All-MAAC and the MAAC All-Tournament Team. Fitz set new single-season Marist records for points scored with 649 points, field goals made with 224, free throws made with 201, and free throw percentage making 86.6% of her free throws. She also became the first sophomore in program history to score 1,000 career points. Guards Nikki Flores (Montvale, N.J.) and Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) garnered Second-Team All-MAAC selections. Flores, a senior, was also named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team and leaves Marist as its all-time leader in games played with 128.

Sophomore forward Lynzee Johnson (Bellbrook, Ohio) was named the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year after leading the Marist reserves with 5.5 points per game, shooting 46.2% from the field and 36.5% from the three-point arc. Freshman Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio) was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team and was named the MAAC Rookie of the Year. Allenspach finished her freshman season leading the MAAC in three-point field goal percentage, making 49.5% of her attempts from beyond the arc. Head Coach Brian Giorgis was honored as The Rock MAAC Coach of the Year, marking the fourth time in the last six seasons he has earned at least a share of the award.

Along with being named the MAAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, senior Sarah Smrdel (Mentor, Ohio) was one of six Marist players named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. Joining Smrdel on that team are Fitz, Flores, Viani, senior Meg Dahlman (Spencerport, N.Y.), and sophomore Brittany Engle (South Easton, Mass.). Dahlman also scored her 1,000th career point this season, ending her career with 1,160 points.

Marist returns nine letterwinners from this season's squad: Viani, Fitz, Engle, Johnson, Allenspach, freshman guard Élise Caron (Quebec, Canada), freshman center Maria Laterza (Brooklyn, N.Y.), freshman forward Sarah Huff (Canal Winchester, Ohio), and senior guard Courtney Kolesar (Concord, Ohio).