Nov. 13, 2009

Marist vs. North Carolina A&T - Game Notes

The Marist women's basketball team looks to continue its winning ways into the 2009-10 season. The Red Foxes have won at least a share of the last six Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular-season championships and have won the MAAC Tournament in five of the last six years to reach the NCAA Tournament. During this stretch, Marist has won at least 20 games in each season and has found itself ranked in the national polls in each of the last two seasons.

Brian Giorgis enters his eighth season at the helm of the Red Foxes as the program's all-time leader in wins. His career record stands at 168-54 and his .757 winning percentage is ninth-best among active Division I women's basketball coaches. Giorgis was named the Maggie Dixon Coach of the Year in 2009 by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association after leading Marist to a 29-4 record last season.

BACKCOURT
Marist returns four of five starters from the 2008-09 team, losing Julianne Viani to graduation. Viani was the Red Foxes' second-leading scorer last season, averaging 15 points per game. She also led Marist with 4.39 assists per game. A versatile guard, Viani's absence means that junior Erica Allenspach will be looked upon to pick up some of the scoring left behind.

Allenspach started all 33 games last season, averaging 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. She scored in double-figures 13 times last season, including a career-high 22 points in the MAAC Tournament final against Canisius. Allenspach was 6-for-11 from the field in that game, making four three-pointers while also making all six of her free throws. A career 43.6% three-point shooter, Allenspach will be looked upon for increased scoring at the shooting guard position.

Junior Élise Caron and sophomore Kristine Best will compete for the starting point guard position. Caron played in all 33 games in the 2008-09 season, making 31 starts. She averaged 3.7 points per game last season, but had a 2.12 assist-turnover ratio. Best appeared in 27 games in her first season at Marist, making one start. She had five assists in her second career game, Marist's 93-65 win at Northeastern, with only one turnover. Best also had 10 assists with no turnovers in Marist's three games in the 2009 MAAC Tournament.

Marist also has a lot of depth in the backcourt, starting with senior guard Brittany Engle. Engle missed the 2008-09 season, but gives the Red Foxes a capable ball-handler and defender off the bench. She played in 67 games the two seasons prior and gives the backcourt experience. Sophomore Corielle Yarde looks to build on her freshman season in which she played in 31 games and averaged 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. She shot 42.1% from the field and 35.9% from the three-point line. Yarde scored a career-high 15 points against Loyola with six assists on Jan. 11, 2009 and also had a big 10 points off the bench in Marist's 78-73 overtime win at Hartford on Feb. 15.

The Red Foxes have three newcomers in the backcourt. Kat Lyons will begin her first season as a redshirt-sophomore, sitting out the 2008-09 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Lyons looks to be a long-range threat for Marist after shooting 60% from the three-point line while at Maryland for her freshman season. Freshman Kelsey Beynnon comes to Marist after a highly successful career at South Burlington High School in Vermont. At 6'2", Beynnon's size will cause mismatches on the perimeter. Sophomore walk-on Caroline Feeley also gives Marist some depth at the guard position. Feeley played basketball at Rye High School in New York and was named All-Section as a senior.

FRONTCOURT
Rachele Fitz enters her senior season as Marist's all-time leading scorer with 1,844 points. She also could become Marist's all-time rebounder, entering the season with 786 career boards which puts her 103 behind Stacey Dengler for that mark. Fitz earned her second MAAC Player of the Year award last season and was also named the Division I Women's College Player of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. She was also an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American. Fitz's numbers in 2008-09 were better than those of her sophomore season. She was the first Marist player to average over 20 points per game in a single-season in 2008-09, averaging 20.5 points per game while shooting 59.8% from the field. Fitz also averaged 9.3 rebounds per game, improving that number by almost two rebounds per game from her sophomore season.

Senior Lynzee Johnson returns as Marist's top scorer off the bench in each of the last two seasons. She averaged 6.7 points per game off the bench in the 2008-09 season, shooting 44.2% from the field while also averaging 3.6 rebounds per game. Johnson had seven games with at least 10 points last season, including a career-high 17 points at Manhattan. She also had 16 points and eight rebounds in Marist's MAAC Tournament semifinal win over Iona.

Junior center Maria Laterza had a strong sophomore season, starting 31 games at center for Marist. Laterza was Marist's second-leading rebounder with 4.4 boards per game, as well as the second-leading shot blocker with 36 blocks. She scored a career-high eight points in games against Albany, Niagara, and Farifield last season. Laterza also had a career-high ten rebounds against Niagara and also against Georgia Southern.

Sophomores Brandy Gang and Emily Stallings return after solid freshman seasons. Gang was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team last season, averaging 5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. She had her first real breakout game against Tulsa on Nov. 28, 2008, scoring nine points with six rebounds. Gang had a stretch of four straight games in double figures in January of 2009, highlighted by a career-high 16 points against Niagara on Jan. 9. Stallings averaged 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game and looks to have increased playing time this season.

Marist has one newcomer in the frontcourt in 6'4" freshman Kate Oliver. A native of Sydney, Australia, Oliver brings international experience to the Red Foxes' roster. Oliver has played for Australia's under-17 and under-19 national teams and has played for Australia at the FIBA Oceania World Qualifying Tournament in Adelaide, Australia in 2008. Oliver's size will be a key asset for the Red Foxes in the lane.

SCHEDULE

The Red Foxes will open the 2009-10 season at the McCann Center on Friday, Nov. 13 against North Carolina A&T in the Preseason WNIT. The Red Foxes will play at least three games in the WNIT, which concludes on Nov. 22. Marist will then make its first venture outside of the United States when it takes part in the Junkanoo Jam on Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas on Nov. 27 and 28. The Red Foxes will take on Oklahoma State in their first ever meeting with the Cowgirls on Friday the 27th. Following that game, Marist will play either Michigan State or George Washington on Saturday the 28th. The Spartans reached the Sweet 16 in the 2009 NCAA Tournament while George Washington played in the WNIT last season, marking the 10th straight season the Colonials have appeared in the postseason.

Marist returns back to the states on Friday, Dec. 4 to host Tulsa of Conference USA at the McCann Center. Following the Golden Hurricane's trip to Poughkeepsie, the Red Foxes will travel to St. Bonaventure for a game on Dec. 6. Last season the Red Foxes defeated the Bonnies 48-45 on Dec. 20, 2008. St. Bonaventure won a program-record 23 games a season ago and reached the WNIT quarterfinals.

On Wednesday, Dec. 9, Marist will host the Oklahoma Sooners at the McCann Center. The Sooners defeated the Red Foxes last season in Norman and reached the NCAA Final Four. Oklahoma could potentially be the second nationally-ranked team to play at the McCann Center. On Dec. 21, 2004, Georgia was ranked 15th in the nation by the Associated Press when it came to Marist.

Following a game at Boston University on Dec. 12, Marist will play three straight games at the McCann Center starting with a Dec. 19 tilt against Hartford. The Red Foxes will also play Northeastern on Dec. 22 and Harvard on Dec. 29. Marist will then begin its defense of its sixth straight MAAC regular season title on Jan. 3 at the McCann Center against Canisius. The Red Foxes will then host Niagara on Jan. 5 and Fairfield on Jan. 8.

Marist's next three games will be on the road, starting with a game at Rider on Jan. 11. The Red Foxes will then take on Saint Peter's on Saturday, Jan. 16 before going to Siena on Monday, Jan. 18. Marist returns to the McCann Center on Friday, Jan. 22 to take on Saint Peter's before hosting Loyola on Jan. 24. The Red Foxes will then do its tour of western New York on Jan. 29 and 31, taking on Canisius and Niagara. Marist will open February with a Feb. 5 game against Iona at the McCann Center. After a game at Fairfield on Feb. 9, the Red Foxes will host Rider on Feb. 12 and Manhattan on Feb. 15.

The Red Foxes will travel to Baltimore for a Feb. 19 tilt at Loyola, after which Marist will wrap up its home slate with a Sunday, Feb. 21 matchup with Siena. Marist will close out the regular season with games at Iona on Feb. 26 and at Manhattan on Sunday, Feb. 28. The 2010 MAAC Women's Basketball Championship will be held at the Times Union Center in Albany March 4-7.