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If evidence were needed for the mysterious malady known as March Madness, the scene at Shadows on the Hudson on Monday offered concrete proof.
A crowd of hundreds dressed in Marist red and St. Patrick’s Day green packed the riverside eatery to join the Lady Red Foxes for the NCAA Tournament selection show. Following a dream regular season, which included a dizzying 31-2 record, a national ranking and the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference championship, anticipation is high for return trip to the tournament.
That trip will begin in the land of crawfish and gumbo when the seventh-seeded Foxes travel to Baton Rouge on Saturday to take on the 10th-seeded Depaul Blue Demons of the Big East Conference in the New Orleans bracket. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
Last year the team entered the big dance as a 13th seed and defeated Ohio State and Middle Tennessee State before falling in the round of 16 to the University of Tennessee. Fans and players alike let out a roar when Marist’s matchup was announced on the enormous paneled television screen above the bar. After a near flawless season and the headiness of a St. Patrick’s celebration in the air, some fans were predicting another long tournament run.
“They’re going to the Final Four, that’s my expectation. They have 31 wins and that’s second-most in the country. Why not?” said Mike Cornin of Poughquag.
Frank Goberish of the Town of Poughkeepsie hopes the team will return to the Sweet Sixteen and credits head coach Brian Giorgis with putting together a top-notch team.
“He’s brought in such smart and skilled girls. Their teamwork is such a pleasure to watch.”
Jackie LeCola of East Fishkill brought her two daughters who attend Marist basketball camp in the summer.
“The team is great to follow and they are such great role models for my girls,” she said.
Prior to the announcement, Giorgis compared the feeling of anticipation another festive time.
“It’s like Christmas morning and you’re waiting to open the presents. It’s just a lot of fun.”
Star sophomore forward Rachele Fitz said the high seeding was a sign of respect and validation for the team.
“It shows that a lot of people think we are good and a lot of people see what we are trying to accomplish. It shows people have confidence in us to play well against the bigger teams. All I know about DePaul is that they almost beat UConn, so we’ve got a lot of information to look up and learn about this team.
Fitz referred to a March 1 game in which the Blue Demons lost to the top-ranked Huskies by a score of 77-76.
Marist Athletic Director Tim Murray acknowledged that it was strange to look at the bracket and see Marist seeded ahead of major conference school like DePaul, but after so much success the last two seasons, he is confident.
“These girls are just fearless and they are going to compete,” said Murray.
Giorgis said Marist will have to play some stout defense against one of the highest-scoring teams in the country.
“We’ve got our hands full, but that’s just the way it is in this tournament.”
Senior guard Nikki Flores looked around the rooms at the partying crowd and pointed out one of keys to the team’s success.
“The fans are such a big part of our team. They really motivate us.”
To underline the point, Marist brought a travel agent to the party to book flights and hotel rooms for the weekends. Let the madness begin.
