For the second-straight game, the Marist women’s basketball team set a season-high in points, scoring 93 points in a 93-66 win over Canisius on Jan. 21 at the McCann Center. The 93 points was also the highest scoring output for Marist since Brian Giorgis became head coach in 2002. With the win, the Red Foxes improved to 17-2 on the season, 7-0 in the MAAC.
Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio), Rachele Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio), and Julianne Viani (Poughkeepsie) each scored 20 points to lead all scorers. Allenspach set a new career-high in points against Canisius, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field including 4-of-4 from the three-point line and the free throw line. Fitz recorded her fifth double-double season with 20 points and 11 rebounds, going 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Viani scored 20 points for the first time since Dec. 22, making a season-high five three-pointers.
Canisius (8-10, 3-4 MAAC) opened the game with a 7-0 run capped by a Brittane Russell layup, forcing Giorgis to burn a timeout 1:38 into the game. Marist responded with baskets by Fitz, Viani and Nikki Flores (Montvale, N.J.) to go on a 9-2 run to the game at 9-9 with 15:18 to go in the half. After Fitz scored to tie the game at 14-14, Tasia Lee put Canisius ahead 16-14 with 12:44 to go. Ten seconds later, Viani hit her third three-pointer in the half to spark a 15-2 run, putting the Red Foxes ahead 32-18 with 7:55 left in the first half. The Red Foxes closed the half with a pair of Allenspach triples to close the half ahead 51-32, their largest lead of the half. Marist shot 52.9 percent from the field in the half.
The Red Foxes kept on rolling in the second, opening the half with a 15-4 run highlighted by three-pointers from Viani and Allenspach to take a 32-point lead, 68-36, with 12:50 to go. Canisius would only get as close as 21 the rest of the way, as a pair of Russell free throws made the score 78-57 with 5:46 to go. As they had done all day, Marist went on a run to put the game away. The Red Foxes went on a 14-3 run over the next 3:02, getting contributions from Lynzee Johnson (Bellbrook, Ohio), Élise Caron (Quebec, Canada), Alexis Waters (Lansing, Mich.), and Maria Laterza (Brooklyn) off the bench.
Marist shot 48.4 percent from the field in the game, making 30-of-62 shots, including a 47.8 percent mark from three-point distance. For the sixth time in seven games, the Red Foxes shot over 80 percent from the free throw line, shooting 88 percent from the line against the Golden Griffins. Marist held a 39-34 rebounding edge and dished out 21 assists with only 11 turnovers.
Canisius had four players score in double-figures in the game. Cavo led the Golden Griffins with 17 points, going 11-for-11 from the free throw line. Center Laura Buetow added 15 points and seven rebounds. Micayla Drysdale and Brittane Russell scored 12 and 10 points respectively. The Golden Griffins were held to 32.1 percent shooting from the field.
Marist will continue its current homestand on Jan. 25 against Siena at 7:30 p.m. The Red Foxes will attempt to “Pack The House” (see below) and record the first sellout in Marist women’s basketball history. For ticket information, call the Marist ticket office at 575-3553.
Fill ’em to the rafters
Marist women hoping to “Pack The House” on Jan. 25 against Siena
The Marist Athletics Department will compete in the NCAA sponsored “Pack the House” Challenge on Friday, Jan. 25 against Siena. The goal of the program is for each participating school to set a women’s basketball attendance record.
The NCAA will select 32 winning institutions (one from each of the 31 Division I conferences and one independent) based on creative marketing strategies, and sellouts or the largest percentage increase from the previous year’s single-game record attendance. Marist’s single-game attendance high for the 2006-07 season was 2,229, set against Canisius on Feb. 9.
“Our goal is to not only set a women’s basketball attendance record, but to also sell out the McCann Center,” said Marist Assistant Athletics Director for External Affairs Travis Tellitocci. “I am confident that the Marist fans will pack the McCann Center in record numbers to support our women’s basketball team.”
The current single-game attendance record for a Marist women’s basketball game is 2,367 fans for the Saint Peter’s game on Feb. 25, 2005.
The athletics department has been promoting this game for over a month, and has also scheduled a promotional giveaway item for that night. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Sweet 16 commemorative T-shirt courtesy of Verizon Wireless. Youth basketball players from the Lagrange Women’s Basketball League have been invited to play at halftime of the game, and already have over 100 fans coming to support the Red Foxes.
In order to get more students out to the game, the Marist Athletics Department has enlisted the help of its Sports Public Relations Class on campus. The class’ goal is to fill the student section, which seats 680 fans. The class will be split into groups and graded on their results.
“Each school’s marketing team has put a lot of work into finding different ways to promote this event and entice fans to come out and be a part of the `Pack the House’ Challenge and women’s college basketball,” said the MAAC’s Director of Women’s Basketball Operations Alisa Kresge. “Each institution should have a good turnout and that is exciting for the student-athletes.”
The MAAC was the first league to fully commit to the new NCAA initiative. “Our athletics administrators and women’s basketball coaches bought into this right away,” said Commissioner Richard J. Ensor.
The NCAA will make a donation to a nonprofit organization on behalf of the 32 winners. Additionally, one grand prize winner will be selected from the pool of 32 winners.
The Red Foxes have won the MAAC regular season championship each of the last four seasons and have advanced to the NCAA Tournament three times. Marist has currently won 27 consecutive home games against MAAC opponents.
Jordan continuing to play professionally
Former Marist men’s basketball star Jared Jordan is continuing his basketball career at the professional level. Jordan, Marist’s all-time leader in assists and the 2007 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year, is playing for Lietuvos Rytas in Lithuania.
Jordan has appeared in five games for the team, and is averaging approximately eight minutes per game. He registered a high of four points against Aris TT Bank on Jan. 9, and had two points and two rebounds against Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv on Dec. 20. Jordan had an assist against Le Mans on Jan. 3, and also had one against Aris TT Bank on Jan. 9.
Lietuvos Rytas has won four of five games since Jordan’s arrival, and is 9-3 on the season in Euroleague action.
Jordan led the nation in assists in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, and was chosen with 45th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. He appeared in preseason games for the New York Knicks after the team acquired his draft rights from the Clippers. Jordan signed with Lietuvos Rytas in early December.
Rolek leads Marist At Gotham Cup
Senior captain Mike Rolek (Maplewood, N.J.) ran a personal-record time of 15:19.30, placing ninth overall in the seeded 5,000-meter run, to lead the Marist College men’s track team at the New York City Gotham Cup, hosted by New York University, Friday night at the Armory Track and Field Center.
Rolek went out to an extremely fast early pace in the competitive field, splitting 1,600 meters in 4:43. That brutal early pace took its toll, but he was able to rebound with a strong finishing kick over the final 600 meters to notch an all-time (indoor and outdoor) best at the distance.
Sophomore Everett Butler (Windsor, Conn.), the school record holder in the 60-meter dash, opened the 2008 season very close to where he left off in 2007. He sprinted to a time of 7.20, just .05 off his 2007 school-record clocking. Sophomore Max Carow (Fanwood, N.J.), the school record holder in the pole vault, also started the season strong. He placed 18th with a leap of 3.90 meters. He holds the school record of 4.05 meters, which he set in 2007.
In the 3,000-meter run, freshman Patrick Duggan (Rockville Centre) notched a 10-second personal best time of 9:06.30, good for 17th place. The distance-medley relay team of junior David Raucci, freshman John Carabetta (Park Ridge, N.J.), senior Bryan Dixon (Staten Island) and sophomore Girma Segni (Bronx) was fourth in a solid early-season time of 10:24.60. Segni anchored the relay with a 4:21.1 in the 1,600-meter run. Earlier in the meet, Segni had run the mile in 4:31.47 in a race where he had to stop because one of his racing shoes fell off after another runner clipped it from behind.
The team returns to action on Jan. 25 and 26 at the Boston University Terrier Invitational.