March 15th, 2018: Marist at St. John's (WNIT)

Just the Facts, Ma'am: St. John's started strong and never looked back in their 68-47 win over Marist in the first round of the WNIT. Andrayah Adams had 14 points off the bench to lead five Johnnies in double figures, with both Imani Littleton (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Maya Singleton (12 points, 11 rebounds) notching double-doubles. Maura Fitzpatrick of Marist led all scorers with 20 points.

For color coordination, a jump to the left, calling glass, offensive rebounding, and the little details on the floor, join your intrepid and soon to be freshly laundered blogger after the jump.

Good evening! The Big Dance has yet to begin, but the WNIT is upon us. St. John's has first-round hosting rights, and tonight we have Marist in the house.

Then again, Marist brought two busloads of fans and then some, so I'm really not sure we're using our host-rights to full advantage here. We've enticed students with ice cream, but they've been fairly quiet. Fortunately, band and a handful of students have stepped up.

Marist's band does an excellent rendition of the Time Warp. Of course, because I am petty and Iona is still one of my teams, I may have asked something along the lines of, "What, to when you were good and Quinnipiac wasn't eating your lunch?"

It's 37-22 St. John's at halftime. Imani Littleton started the game like her hair was on fire and she was taking the presence of every single Marist fan as a personal affront. Our offensive rebounding inside has been fantastic. Other than not being able to keep track of Alana Gilmer, and Maura Fitzpatrick's uncanny communion with the glass, we've been great on defense. Marist is doing a lot of little things well, in regards to floor positioning.

That awkward moment when one of your teams is coached by a fan/alumna of the opponent one of your other teams is playing. Hi, Stephanie, but go Red Storm, not Red Foxes.

That got a little dicey for a moment when Akina Wellere committed her fourth foul and had to come out of the game, but we hit a couple of big shots and put the Red Foxes away. My throat still hurts. You have to go hard when you're outnumbered in your own house. (You also get salty as Lot's wife, because, c'mon, people.)

I'm not used to Marist being this disorganized. Their passing game was... not good. Their shooting was ridiculously streaky- either the shot went in or it was a bad miss, no real in-between. There are a lot of little things they still do very well- no one draws charges better than Marist, no one tests the boundaries better than Marist. But the youth and inexperience of these players shines through, and I don't know if they know who their leader is, at least from what I saw in this game.

Kendall Baab came in at the end of the game, which was the best indicator to us that the game was over- give the senior one last hurrah before her career ends. She was marked pretty closely in her brief minutes, and she had trouble handling the passes her teammates sent her. We were almost hoping she would get a basket, but Imani Littleton was bound and determined that that wasn't going to happen. Gabi Redden saw a few minutes at the end of the game, and in the first half in relief of Alana Gilmer after Gilmer picked up the third foul. Big body, but way too tentative. Hasn't quite figured out that "play with your head" does not mean "deflect the pass meant for your teammate with your face".

Lovisa Henningsdóttir brings a different dimension off the Marist bench, and I think once she's fully settled into the Marist offense they'll be a lot better off. She gives them good height on the inside and on the glass while still providing the three-point offense they rely on. Allie Best played the bulk of the minutes off the bench at guard- smaller than most of the other players they put out on the floor, she ball-hawked more than the rest of her teammates.

I don't know what unholy spells Maura Fitzpatrick worked on the glass, but she had some of the best puck luck I've ever seen- two shots off the glass and one that danced all over the rim before dropping in. Granted, she also had some of the worst puck luck I've ever seen, with shots popping up out of the cylinder. She's a strange one. She did do a good job of driving the lane and drawing contact, usually off Akina Wellere, who didn't quite have the foot speed to keep up with her when she slipped screens. Rebekah Hand shoots pretty well, not surprisingly, but she also had some terrible shots that hit nothing. After her first airball, I was tempted to tell her she was embarrassing our shared, albeit differently spelled, name. I think she was the one who completely blew a gorgeous screen from one of her teammates and bricked the jumper.

Alana Gilmer started off red hot, even with her unconventional over-the-head jumper. She showed impressive evasiveness for a woman of her frame, getting Maya Singleton (one of our better defenders) turned around in the early going. We switched defenses on her a couple of times, and got better results both from the length of Imani Littleton and the speed of our guards. Three fouls in the first half didn't help her either, and I think she tightened up in the second half. Willow Duffell brings them height, but right now I don't know what else she's giving them. Most of what I remember of her on the floor were mistakes- fouls, bad passes, airballs, and such. I get the sense that she was pressed into service before she was fully ready. Grace Vander Weide swung between positions a lot, and swung from extremes of shooting multiple terrible airballs to making big steals in the passing lanes. Hers was the screen referred to earlier.

There are things Marist still does very well. They rebounded off their missed free throws like they planned it all along. They still set up position outside the circle like someone built a tiny wall along its curve. They adapt their defense well. But I don't know if they planned to fiddle around in the backcourt for seven seconds almost every possession, or if they let our defense pressure them into that. Their shooting was unusually inconsistent, and their communication was off. They got looks, and either they went down or they most emphatically did not.

I'm glad Tamesha Alexander and Shamachya Duncan got to close the game out. I'm less glad neither of them got a shot off, though Sox did have a chance and promptly passed it off, because that's who Sox is and that's how she rolls. They're good kids. I'm passing fond of them. Kayla Charles has got to hang on to rebounds instead of tapping them around. Unless we have some tall people coming in next year's class that I don't know about, she's pretty much going to be the only post on the floor. She doesn't necessarily have anyone to tap the ball to.

Andrayah Adams did a lot of scoring in the fourth quarter, but I don't know if she was calling her own number or if there was some other perverse reason she was taking all the shots even when the deep bench was in the game. She spent way too much time driving one-on-everybody. She had better luck with her jumper, but even then it looked like she was just firing it off without thinking about the play sometimes. I feel like I'm being unreasonably hard on her, since we did win and she did lead us in scoring, but this was an unusually selfish game for her, and that's not necessarily a habit I want her to develop. Qadashah Hoppie hit a big three and did a good job of getting to the line, but I was most impressed with her defensive work. She stayed in front of the Marist guards and for the most part was successful in cutting off their drives.

Tiana England's hesitancy drove us a little bit crazy, but in a game like this where controlling the pace allowed us to milk the lead, it wasn't terrible. I wish her drives had gone down more often- she had a fantastic fast break off an interception that she just couldn't finish. But that inside pass to Imani Littleton was sweet- reminded me of some of the Liberty's interior passing under Laimbeer. Moments like those make me think she'll turn out all right at the point after all. Alisha Kebbe's so tough. I think her Philly is showing. She goes hard after loose balls, and the shots she comes up with seem to be at all the right times. She's got to work on her overall accuracy, but I'll take her toughness any day of the week. Akina Wellere had the three-ball working, and did some good work inside, but lost her mind on defense in the fourth quarter, committing three straight fouls, two of which were utterly unnecessary. We don't roll deep, 'Kina, we can't afford blatant reach-in fouls at the midcourt line. (I did enjoy her defense of her fourth foul, though; I think she was either arguing that the offensive player performed an illegal spin move or earnestly explaining to the ref that she needs a new dryer.)

I don't know how I feel about Maya Singleton's face-up game, but watching her own the shot clock like a boss on the one jump shot was pretty sweet. She was beasting on the glass. It was also very satisfying to watch her hit all of her free throws with the Marist band disconcerting her. But the player of the game was Imani Littleton, and what a time for her to shine. She took over on the inside, getting offensive rebounds and converting more of her opportunities than usual. She was assertive defensively, to the point of running herself out of plays. In every way she could, she made it abundantly clear that this was her game, her house, and her night, and she wasn't letting her career end here and now. I'm inordinately proud of how she played, and I hope we can keep seeing this through the WNIT.

Officiating was a bit ticky-tack for stretches, with stricter construction of the traveling rule than I've seen in a while (which made Akina's claim that the refs missed one even funnier).

I don't know who resents our spirit squads, but both cheer and dance had people knocked in the head with flying basketballs- cheer while in play, dance because someone's kid was messing around in the third deck without supervision. I am not okay with unsupervised children, by the way.

Perhaps we should minimize the use of our red-and-white chants when playing a team that shares our colors.

Too many Marist fans and not enough St. John's fans, but that's to be expected. Marist travels well and stays loyal. I remember some of those fans from my visits to McCann. And St. John's is not very good at expanding the fan base. Survive and advance. That's all that matters.

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January 15th, 2017: Marist at Iona

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Iona started well, but Marist finished in the fourth for the 68-62 win. Maura Fitzpatrick's 18 points led four Red Foxes in double figures. Alexis Lewis had 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead Iona.

For weakness, seeing red, harassing cheerleaders, cheap shots, stomping the bleachers, and packing your own lunch, join your intrepid and irrational blogger after the jump.

Basketball never stops. I'm starting to think that should be the new title, or at least subtitle, of this blog, because I say it over and over again. Two games yesterday couldn't sate my addiction. It's rivalry weekend amongst my mid-majors, as the Iona Gaels play host to the Marist Red Foxes.

I'm interested in seeing how this game plays out with the old roles reversed- Iona as the hunted instead of the hunter, Marist the underdog instead of the favorite. We've been down this road too many times with Giorgis before.

Do Marist fans not understand whose bench is whose? Go stand behind your own bench, people. At least we seem to be getting early reinforcements, which is good. Marist fans travel, and they get loud.

Why are you showing our cheerleader your media guide, Marist fan? Leave her alone.

At halftime, Marist is up 35-27, after Iona led the first quarter. We need to get stronger, and we need to play smarter. Inconsistent officiating hasn't helped, as quick foul trouble sent Marina Lizarazu and Karynda DuPree to the bench for much of the first half. Alexis Lewis has eight points and six rebounds, all in the first quarter, to pace the Gaels. Marist has 12 points from Maura Fitzpatrick.

Marist sets screens. So many screens. Screens everywhere. Screens around screens. Screens to screen the fact that someone was screening. More screens than your local multiplex.

I'm pretty sure we've received an alumna visitation. Aaliyah Robinson is pretty unimposing in street clothes, but there's someone with very familiar eyes talking up one of the staffers.

Solid anthem from one of the cheerleaders, who has a deeper voice than I would have expected.

We have a problem. Our bench is not ready for prime time, to put it politely. They're good kids, and I love my dorky kids, but they're very much not ready for the big time.

Once, just once I would like to walk out of a women's basketball game without wondering exactly what kind of idiots the leagues are hiring. Once, just once, I would like to go to a game and think that it was well and fairly officiated. People got hurt today, and I am not okay with this. Now, I will admit, part of my rage is because I'm irrational where Philecia Atkins-Gilmore is concerned, but there's nothing good about not even reviewing when players get elbowed and go down.

I was impressed with Marist's screens. They really did work getting each other open. And I swear that they spent the first quarter jacking threes solely to make sure we defended the perimeter more so that they could drive into the paint.

Jordyn Jossart played briefly at the end of the first half, as a corner three shooter. Morgan Bartner got some time in the first half as well, but if she had any measurable impact, I managed to miss it. Kendall Baab was the primary reserve for the short-handed Red Foxes (who had five or six players in street clothes), and she did most of her work facing the basket, getting rebounds and playing defense.

We're going to get this out of the way early so I can try to focus on the rest of the notes without this tense ball of rage in my chest. As far as I'm concerned, Claire Oberdorf can go kick rocks with no shoes. I'm not going to argue that Philecia didn't foul her, or that Treyanna didn't foul her. But there was no need for her to respond with an elbow to Trey's stomach, and no need for her to do whatever she did that made Phee shriek in pain. You cause that in one of my players, we're going to drop the gloves. I now find myself amused by the lay-ups she was consistently missing short and the free throws that went off back iron. I would like to respect her fearlessness, but I am not in the mood for that.

Maura Fitzpatrick seemed to be setting screens every time I looked at her. Leaving her open was not always a smart move. She knifed through the lane for most of her baskets. Lovísa Henningsdottír provided most of their size and a good chunk of their rebounding. She was efficient at the basket, and also skillful at being in the way of the other team. (There's got to be some better term for the overlapping skill sets of screening and boxing out, but this is my third game in two days, I am tired and I no word good.)

I imagine there will be a lot of Hand puns in Poughkeepsie for the next four years. At least, there would be if I were a Marist fan, because let's face it, your intrepid blogger is a sucker for bad puns. Hannah Hand was more of a hustler, pulling down medium-range rebounds and disrupting plays. Rebekah Hand was more of a shooter, setting up for threes from the top of the arc and other such jumpers. Hannah had more impact on the game, though I can see where Rebekah will be useful. (Also, she is one of my people, even if she spells it funny.)

I don't know what Marina Lizarazu did to end up in the doghouse, but she really needs to apologize for it in a hurry. I don't think Coach Godsey is doing anything super sneaky like using Marina to anchor the bench and provide a spark that way. That being said, something seems missing from her game. Her defensive discipline is lacking, and her passing eye isn't as sharp. She looked for her shot late, but not necessarily often. The three to end the third quarter was vintage clock management, but I'm still worried about her. Kristin Mahoney, after two and a half years, finally seems to be developing a little bit of moxie. I think taking her off the ball and using her more as a corner sniper has helped.

Ashley Martin, oh, dear. Her play today epitomized "not ready for prime time". She looked like someone whose growth spurt occurred in the middle of the night, and she's not sure why she's so tall, or how to run with these legs. She combined the weakness of a slender build with an appalling lack of either speed or assertiveness on offense. She had a perfect fast break- and then pulled it back like she'd seen a ghost, allowing Henningsdottír to obliterate the shot from existence. Impressed, I am not. Tilasha Okey-Williams got rather fond of the three-pointer, which I'm not sure I'm okay with. She got the second half start over Tori Lesko, though I'm not sure if that was rewarding her for her play, or because Coach was just going with the lineup that ended the first half. I'd like to see some more judgment in her shooting- she seemed to be going off half-cocked. Amelia Motz had a nice rebound, but offensively, was a non-factor.

It took until the final semester of her senior year, but Karynda DuPree finally figured out that she's 6'4" and fairly strong. This was one of the best games I've ever seen out of her, and I'd love to see a whole lot more of them. She went to the hoop, she rebounded, she stood her ground down low- I love it! She only gave in to the urge to shoot perimeter jumpers once or twice, which is a big improvement. Alexis Lewis started the game like a house on fire. Marist's defense keyed on her more as the game went on, but she still found space to make spectacular plays on the boards and from the perimeter. She's streaky as all getout, but she's fun to watch. Someday, her classmate Treyanna Clay will be the same way. First, though, someone needs to get Trey into the weight room. She has to get stronger. Too many shots are coming up short; too many rebounds are slipping from her hands. She's getting pushed around, and this is not cool.

Tori Lesko started the game with two turnovers, which didn't exactly endear her to Coach Godsey. I like her hustle, but she's got to get better on offense. Either shoot or don't shoot- don't hesitate and travel. She's regressed from her hot start to the season. Philecia Atkins-Gilmore brought the hustle, as she always does, but her shot was off, and not just after the collision with Oberdorf. Still, Phee is my favorite special kind of crazy. You'll always know she's out there.

Why are we jacking so many threes? Ill-thought-out threes, no less. We have forwards with some length. It seems like it would make more sense to work on cutting to the basket more.

Really good crowd today, and the Marist fans were uncharacteristically quiet until the end. I'm okay with this.

All I ask for from the officials is that they call the game consistently. Don't call hand checks at one end while you let trips go on at the other. That's all I want out of the officials. Is that really so much to ask?

We knew this year wasn't going to be last year. I'm worried about the future, if the freshmen don't develop or get recruited over. Get in the weight room and get stronger, or get out.

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November 23rd, 2015: Marist at St. John's

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Aliyyah Handford had 19 points and eight rebounds, and Danaejah Grant 17 points and eight boards, as St. John's pulled away from Marist early, 61-47. Jade Walker added 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Sydney Coffey led the Red Foxes with 16 points, while Tori Jarosz notched a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

For traveling in the dark of the night, blocked shots, illusory Girl Scouts, bringin' the noise, traveling fans, kicked balls, a lack of discipline, and weak contest shooting, join your intrepid and culinary blogger after the jump. (Want some apple pie?)



Good evening, boys and girls! Your intrepid blogger is back in her usual perch at Carnesecca Arena, holding down the fort in Section 2 with Mr. Noisy himself, as St. John's finally comes home to face mMarist.

I don't know whose idea it was to have this game at 7 PM on a Sunday night, but I would like to have words with them. They will not be nice words. I would also like to have words with whoever designated a 7 PM game on a Sunday night as "Girl Scout Day". That's not how this works.

Can I be weirded out by how pale Marist is? Even the non-Caucasian players are on the light side. It's very discomfiting (not to mention you get awkward contrast with unfortunate implications, given that 9 out of 11 Johnnies are various shades of medium to dark brown). (Look, there's no diplomatic way to state this observation without getting into people's self-identification. Would you prefer "one team looks like my mom's coffee and the other is closer to my dad's"?)

Danaejah Grant is running around without her jersey on. It would be somewhat more scandalous if she didn't have a shirt on.

Marist, stop trying to sit behind our bench. Okay, it's just one guy and his daughter, but don't sit behind the opposing bench, it's not polite.

At halftime, St. John's is up 34-24. Aliyyah Handford continues to be all Matrix-y in the paint. Jade Walker's hook shot is falling, and Marist is something like seven-of-a-thousand from the field. The officials are calling procedural things pretty tightly- lots of travels, lots of three-second calls. They did manage to miss a change of possession arrow, which has so far been to the Red Storm's advantage.

It might be Girl Scout Day, but so far the only Girl Scout I've seen here is me. I think they got their promotions crossed up.

That was easier than I was expecting. I was expecting more of a fight from Marist, but this is not the Marist that once terrorized the MAAC and slew Ohio State. I know it's early in the season, and I know Marist has a lot of new faces, but I still expect more disciplined play out of the Red Foxes. They were sloppy even in warm-ups, and the mental lapses continued into the game.

Eileen Van Horn looked to have had a laundry malfunction with her uniform- the white numbers appeared more of a pale pink. Claire Oberdorf had no name on her jersey, the only Marist player to lack it, and we joked about her having to earn it by her play on the court, as if some sort of cruel rite of passage. She was aggressive after the ball. Casey Davidson was last off the bench. Maura Fitzpatrick left no impression other than a dark ponytail.

Kendall Baab came in in relief of Tori Jarosz when Jarosz got into foul trouble. She scored her points fairly late in the game. Morgan Bartner provided some spot minutes as well.

Rebecka Garderyd seemed to be splitting time between point guard and off guard, running the offense when more deliberation was required. Allie Clement started off shooting badly, but finished with a couple of corner threes and one very nice drive down the lane. Sydney Coffey was the big offensive star, but even then, her drives down the lane lacked a certain technical soundness- she threw the ball at the basket with no sense of form.

Lovísa Henningsdottir looked lost on the court- I think she's still adapting to the defense. Tori Jarosz showed flashes of her offensive skill set, but was more effective on defense. She shut down a lot of shots and defended the paint well. Foul trouble put her on the bench for stretches. I think this game might have shown the difference between the MAAC and the Big East, at least in terms of size.

Hey! Freshmen! They do exist! Jordan Agustus and her goggles came in late in the game. She committed a dumb foul, but more than made up for it with a pretty move in the lane. Akina Wellere still needs to get her feet under her, in terms of defensive signals and familiarity with her teammates and system, but I think she's going to adapt quickly and fit in well. Now, if only her outside shot would start falling...

Tamesha Alexander ran point for a while in the second half, unremarkably. I love her feistiness, though. She was going up against way bigger players for rebounds. Crystal Simmons came in for Aliyyah Handford for stretches, and everyone really wanted her to get a basket. I think it might be smarter for her to focus on her defense- I can see her getting more bench minutes that way, filling a role like that instead of trying to add yet more backcourt offense. Jade Walker looked really good scoring in the paint- she's been working on her hook shot, and it shows. She still has the outside jumper, but if she can consistently add down-low scoring, we'll be a more balanced and more dangerous team. (And if she can avoid committing stupid fouls.) She started the second half over Sandra Udobi.

Imani Littleton doesn’t seem to have found her feet yet, though I'm not sure how much is being run for her. She's third option at best, fourth if Jade is in the game. I'd still like to see her be more attentive on defense. Sandra Udobi has lost whatever mobility she had after the knee injuries. If she can get position in the post on offense she's still a lot to handle for the opponent, but she can't move on defense, and that makes me sad.

Aaliyah Lewis appears to be trying to be our three-point threat, with no success so far. I do love watching a point guard grow into her own and become a floor leader. Tiny but fierce! Danaejah Grant had the jumper working. Aliyyah Handford showed off her Matrix moves- she's just so smooth and so flexible. You can't blink when you're looking at her, or you'll miss something. She did get caught gambling on defense a couple of times, flying out for the steal and very much not getting it. That's something she has to be more careful about.

In the third quarter, St. John's broke out a press, and it was very effective. I'd love to see more of that.

We figured it was a bad sign for the officiating when we saw an Enterline, but he actually didn't make any calls we objected to. Angela Lewis was the one making calls that seemed questionable and enforcing three-seconds with an iron fist.

So many kicked balls. I feel like Marist may have forgotten what sport they were playing?

I don't know what this proves for St. John's, or if it proves anything other than the athletic department's inability to understand how clocks work. I don't know what this says about Marist either- it may be too early to tell, or we may be watching the decline of one of the great mid-major dynasties.

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January 31st, 2015: Marist at Iona

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Tori Jarosz could not be stopped inside, leading the Red Foxes of Marist with 20 points and eight rebounds in their 63-58 win at Iona. Brittni Lai and Madeline Blais each had 12. Joy Adams led all players with 23 points and 24 rebounds, while Damika Martinez added 19 for the Gaels.

For self-inflicted wounds, being left out in the cold, Beast Mode, guard-post synergy, swarming Foxes, a lack of collective nouns, the need to apply MAD SCIENCE!, and post players, join your intrepid and not yet thawed blogger after the jump.



Good afternoon, loyal and disloyal readers alike! Your intrepid blogger comes to you today from the MAAC Game of the Week at the Hynes Athletic Center on the campus of Iona College, where the Gaels play host to the Red Foxes of Marist.

I'm worried it's going to be one of *those* days, given that we missed the last bus that would have gotten us there before the tip, so we had to take a cab. Then again, I'm almost certain it was the same cabby who took us to Iona the last time we had to resort to that.

Early yet, but already that familiar core of Marist fans and family has settled in behind the visiting bench. Today's a double-header with the men, but it appears to be separate admission, which is the worst of both worlds- you get all the agita that comes with a men's game, and none of the people. Fortunately, unlike last time, we have friends in useful places, and we're in our usual spot.

Judging from the shorts, I think one of the guys from Marist came to support the women's team. Given that they're the better basketball team in Poughkeepsie by far, I can't say I'm surprised.

Lost Marist tourist, Imma need you to stop wandering around behind our bench. You are being a creepy creeping creeper who creeps.

Oh, stop playing New York songs, Iona. You're in Westchester County, that's not New York City.

Seriously. Okay, we're at 20 minutes before tip, but there are seven people behind Iona's bench. And one of them is the student charged with making sure no one rushes the court ahem, Mama Martinez. We're up to ten now!

Okay, things have improved between now and then. The Iona folks have shown up, including Damika's incorrigible family (I don't know what we're gonna do next year without them to liven things up). Marist is up 32-30 behind 12 points from Tori Jarosz, who has been abusing Karynda DuPree down low. Joy Adams has 10 points and nine boards for Iona, who can't resist the urge to shoot themselves in the foot whenever possible. Officiating hasn't helped, but hasn't been as much of a factor as the partisans around us believe.

There are rally towels. They are bright yellow and screen printed. Student workers were originally trying to reserve them solely for the students, but yeah, that's not happening. Not when most of the ardent fans aren't students, and not when y'all start waving them around us.

Killian, you're a darling, and I really appreciate that you've been at more games this year, but could you not stand in front of us? Thanks.

Not that Damika rides the hell out of the bike, but it's still going a good thirty seconds after she jumped off.

So that fell apart at the end, and it's sad. I like Iona, I really do, but it's really hard to root for them sometimes. The dysfunction is real, and it's painful, and it's making y'all miss out on two phenomenal players.

Marist is not what Marist used to be. It's strange to say that, stranger still to see it with my own two eyes instead of intuiting it from box scores and W-L records. Brian Giorgis is still a fantastic coach, and if a game comes down to Xs and Os, or having the right player on the floor to be at the right place at the right time, that's a game Brian Giorgis's team is going to win. But he's not getting the players he got when they made their name over Ohio State. He doesn't have a Corielle Yarde, a Rachele Fitz. He has a lot of players who still seem to be finding their way.

Katharine Fogarty gave a big body in the middle, getting one decent-sized run in each half. I have a basket down for her, and I thought she was the one who hit a little turnaround over Karynda DuPree, but the official box score has no shots attempted for Miss Fogarty. I'm going to have to take a closer look at the numbers. Brittni Lai came in to run point and seemed to be playing a lot when the game was close in the first half. She had a nice steal in the second half that she turned into a fast break lay-up, and she was generally hitting shots, and why can't I remember her clearly? Payton Birchmeier, cursed at birth with a hopelessly preppy name, came in to relieve Toni Jarosz when Jarosz was tired of conquering everything in her path, and did a little work down low. Her three-point shot needs work, though I'm not sure how many of those her team really wants her to take. Just enough to keep a defense honest, I presume.

Sydney Coffey took a lot of shots, and seemed accustomed to taking and making a lot of shots, but I think her more important role in this one was locking down Damika Martinez. I can see the look on your face now, because I'm cursed with second sight: "How do you define locking down a player by letting her score 19 points?" And my answer is that 19 is below Damika's average and about four or five of those came when the game was in hand. So if I'm Marist, I sigh at the missed shots, but I take the defensive energy, and in a way that sort of defines the Red Foxes: if they're not beating you one way, they're beating you the other. I expected Madeline Blais to be a little more of a factor, so I was relieved when she got the two fouls early on, but other than hitting some late shots from the corner, I didn't see a lot from her. Natalie Gomez-Martinez seemed to be handling a fair amount of the play-calling, but was quiet overall. Allie Clement made a splash early, and with Marist, I have a healthy respect for a freshman who cracks their starting lineup. But the undisputed star of the game was Tori Jarosz, who bullied Iona down low. She came out of the SEC, and she played like a player who's dealt with the physicality of the SEC. Iona had no answer for her. I don't think Iona's had a player who could legitimately answer her since Martina Weber (though Sabrina Jeridore would have at least blocked some of those shots).

Marist looked pedestrian, and that's a word I've rarely used for the Red Foxes. But they get in your head if you've seen them often enough. Just look at the notes and how often this team is compared to the past. Now imagine you've lost to Marist over and over again. They're the boogeyman. You expect them to win even when they're losing. (I suspect part of Quinnipiac's early success in their new conference, along with talented players and their hockey-style system, is not having the boogeyman in their heads, not having the history and the subconscious expectations.)

Philecia Gilmore gave decent minutes off the bench when both Damika Martinez and Kristin Mahoney were in foul trouble. Aurellia Cammock at least fought inside, but she was out of her class with Jarosz, and didn't seem ready for the pressure of a big game. Cassidee Ranger can only score in threes, it appears- even when she takes twos. She had a basket in the lane and got an and-1 off it. I'm not sure she's being used as effectively as she could be, but they don't pay me the big bucks, so we'll just have to go with what we have.

I think half of Iona's problems would be solved if we could find a way for Karynda DuPree and Aaliyah Robinson to swap bodies. That way, the 6-4 forward with a strong body that every 6-0 power forward dreams of could contentedly stand on the perimeter and jack threes, while the 5-11 guard who crashes the boards without fear could really, really dominate. Honestly, though, Karynda makes me want to smack her with my clipboard. She shies away from contact inside, and she doesn't post up at ALL on offense. All her shots were long outside jumpers, and she backed down every play on defense. Aaliyah, meanwhile, had a couple of bad rolls and a few bad shots, but fought hard on the boards and on defense. (A Karynda-sized Aaliyah would be scary. Like, play for a top 10 school scary. I'm dead serious.) I'm glad Marina Lizarazu has recovered from her concussion, but I think she's still a little gun-shy- scared to drive, afraid to take contact, hesitant to hit the floor for loose balls she would normally pursue. On the other hand, she took far fewer stupid shots than she was taking before. That just sounds like I'm a horrible human being for seeing the silver lining in a concussion. Damika Martinez is learning the hard way more and more with every passing game that heavy lies the head that wears the scorer's crown. Marist doubled her every time she got the ball. And then they threw more defenders at her to increase the pressure until she inevitably coughed up the ball. Her ball security today was awful. Don't throw the ball to people on the other team. Joy Adams went into beast mode today. She owned the boards. She almost single-handedly outrebounded Marist (25 rebounds for Marist, 24 for Joy). She slithered through defenders like she was getting her Neo Anderson on.. She even threw up a desperation three near the end of the game and it went in perfectly. She had trouble hanging on to the ball, but that's because Marist will swarm the ballhandler if they see any signs of weakness, and heaven knows Iona will show signs of weakness.

I've compared Marist to piranhas before, but it's not quite appropriate. Driver ants, maybe? Bees? Hyenas?

There were some interesting non-calls on Marist (poor Damika) and some questionable procedural calls (pretty sure you can have your hand under the ball if you're catching it, but I could be wrong). The folks around us hated every call against Iona and wanted a call on every play against Marist, but they're partisans, they're allowed.

Your LOL of the day: when Damika Martinez crossed over Natalie Gomez-Martinez and blew by her, the cry went up from Damika's family: "Gotcha, fake Martinez!" (Not that I personally am impugning any claims to the name.)

Iona student section, I love your enthusiasm and your passion, but do not taunt happy fun Marist fans, that never ends well.

I feel like I've been waiting four years for Iona to take that next step. I'm starting to wonder if they ever will.

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March 2nd, 2014: Marist at Iona

Just the Facts, Ma'am: A back-and-forth game in the first half broke open in the second half as Marist went on a 14-2 run to eventually claim a 79-67 win at Iona. Tori Jarosz had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Red Foxes, while Casey Dulin added 19 points and five assists. Damika Martinez had 20 points for Iona, while Sabrina Jeridore had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

For feelings, the rim, coming so close, pounding the bleachers, making things right, and to heck with double-headers, join your intrepid and mildly frustrated blogger after the jump.

If you ever wonder why, as a women's basketball fan, I resent men's basketball, here's a textbook example. Iona's Senior Day against Marist is a double-header with the men. I didn't know this until I got to the box office and looked at the tickets; it wasn't mentioned in the game day information. So we're stuck in the upper deck, last row, backs to the wall, instead of with our friends and cohorts in the section behind the bench, and forced to pay extra for a game we weren't here to see.

And if Iona was hoping that this would keep the Marist fans out, the big splotch of red across from us indicates that it's not working.

Seriously, we're so far up that we just had to shift so the camera crew could plug in. NOT AMUSED. (I'm suddenly very grateful I'm going to Senior Night at Seton Hall, because I know Tony Bozzella will do it right, and I'd like to see one Senior Day done right this year.)

I really hate to keep harping, but there are Marist fans with better seats than we have, across from our bench, and this is ridiculous. I don't care about the Iona men. I might have considered staying because the Iona men are good, but I don't know if I want to respect them.

Here, have some FEELS for the Iona seniors, all of whom are uniquely specialized.


This cannot possibly be the senior year Shonice Hawkins wanted.

It's a shame, because in years before, she was a stalwart defender and a firestarter off the bench. She wasn't going to get the big minutes and she wasn't going to get the glory, but she was going to get the stop and she was going to make sure her team stayed in the game.

She's kept up her role as a team leader even on the bench in street clothes. She's been in the middle of everything, keeping the team's spirit high and keeping them fired up.

You do what you can, even when it's not what you wanted. That's what it means to be part of a team, and Shonice took that to heart.


If you told me, "Look, you're down one, you need a basket in the paint, and you can only pick one player off one of your favorite teams to hit that shot," there are a lot of players I'd pick before Sabrina Jeridore.

But if you told me, "Look, you're up one, you need to keep the other team from scoring in the paint, and you can only use players off your favorite teams to stop that shot," Sabrina Jeridore would be the first name out of my mouth (followed closely by Amber Thompson and Bra'Shey Ali). Bri's shooting is erratic at best, but on the defensive end, she owns the paint, plain and simple. She's one of the best shot blockers I've seen in a long time. You don't score on her in the paint, plain and simple. You need a player like that to anchor your defense.

She takes Lisa Leslie as a role model, at least enough to use her image as a Twitter header. Good choice for a player of her style. And even if I personally don't like Leslie, it's always good to see a female player actually taking a WNBA player as a role model.


This year wouldn't be possible without Haley D'Angelo. The talent is young and raw and prone to making stupid mistakes (and I love Joy and Damika and Aleesha and Aaliyah, don't get me wrong). But whe you have young, raw takent, you need a steady hand and a clear head to run the offense. And that's exactly what Haley D'Angelo brings to the table.

She's never going to be a big scorer- I don't think she ever was. She's not dazzling. She's not flashy. She's not dynamic as a player. But she's smart, she's efficient, and she's steady. I didn't know until the Senior Day ceremony that she started out as a walk-on, and to go from walk-on to starting point guard is an incredible journey.

We aren't the Phoenix Mercury, but we have a similar enough structure that I think I can make this comparison. Damika might be our Cappie, and Joy might be our Penny, though we really don't have a Diana. But Haley... Haley is undeniably our Kelly Miller. She's the engine that makes the whole thing go. Haley returning for this season instead of saying "screw this, I got a degree" is probably the biggest reason why this season is what it is instead of being a deep disappointment and fourth in the conference.


(game notes resume)

Oh, hey, there's a band. How nice of someone musical to show up. I think they're an alumni band, but still. That would be like, the first time in ever.

Halftime update: thanks to a brilliant and wonderful student worker named Tommy, we got put in our proper place behind the bench with our posse, and we're being appropriately loud. It's been a back and forth game, with Marist up at the half. Marist had an early 10-4 lead; but the Gaels came back strong, and since then it's been nip and tuck. Just to make me look like an idiot, Sabrina Jeridore is leading the Gaels with nine points.

Today is also the 40th anniversary celebration of the program, so they're doing a ceremony with alumnae and coaches. Look at all of those bad-ass ladies.

The Senior Day ceremony was beautiful. I was kind of sad that Shonice didn't have family to walk out with her, just a friend (or a "friend", but I ain't judging), but I liked that Damika and Joy walked out with her in their place. They brought flowers for the Marist seniors, and there were posters for the dance and cheer teams. RIGHT IN THE FEELS. It's kind of fascinating how this year's class was so narrowly specialized. Sabrina's a shot-blocker, Haley's a distributor, and Shonice steals the ball.

The band is not impressing me. I'm starting to understand why they didn't do women's games most of the time. Slow jazz doesn't exactly fit with this squad.

We have to finish the job at the rim. Real champions finish at the rim. That's what Marist did especially after contact, and that's what we couldn't manage. The shots they hit and the shots we missed were the difference in this game. This is the kind of game where it's easy to blame the bad officiating for the loss, because make no mistake about it, the officiating was bad to the point of hazard for the players. Sabrina and Aleesha can tell you all about that. That's the easy way out, but that's the loser's way out. When it came right down to the real nitty-gritty, they hit the shots that mattered and we didn't.

Brittni Lai played briefly in the first half, long enough to establish that she wasn't going to be an effective option for the Red Foxes. Natalie Gomez-Martinez gave some good minutes in relief of the guards, showing a little speed and strength. Madeline Blais used her height well against the mismatches on defense and got to the line efficiently. She was big for them off the bench.

Casey Dulin gets an awful lot of steps on her lay-ups. We're talking about three and four steps on the run-up, all but tucking the ball under her arm like a running back. She took contact as well as a running back, too, getting and completing and-1s the way Rachelle Fitz used to (I still remember that one game where pretty much every picture I got was of Fitz getting a three-point play). She slipped the defense very well. Emma O'Connor killed us from the outside. We kept leaving her open, and she kept hitting threes. She had two early, then added another one as part of the big run to open the second half for Marist. Sydney Coffey was solid but unmemorable. Leanne Ockenden didn't necessarily make a big impact on offense, but read Iona's offense brilliantly- there were one or two plays that she broke up simply by predicting them perfectly. That's the senior advantage right there. Tori Jarosz was unstoppable when she got that first step down low. It was fascinating watching her seem to calculate and consistently overshoot once she was out of her low-post comfort zone, but once she got the baseline, she was throwing in little hooks every time she got anywhere near the basket. (One wonders how this strength of Jarosz's will mesh with Giorgis's plea of "STOP GOING BASELINE!")

This Marist team is not the perfectly oiled machine of the past, nor do they have the talent that the big upset teams of the past did. But they still get the job done, and they take advantage of mistakes.

Cassidee Ranger's been setting stronger screens this year, which is either a promising sign of versatility and development, or an act of desperation from a three who's been forced to the four out of necessity. She got open shots and hit them, and kept the offense coming from the outside. Aaliyah Robinson's shooting was streaky, but she was a better matchup with Marist's bigger guards than Aleesha Powell. (I do find myself wondering what happened with the rest of Iona's bench, though. Christina Rubin was solid at point early in the year, Spencer Gray has good defensive instincts, and Aurelia Cammock at least brings some size off the bench. I don't know if I'd shorten up the rotation quite this much.)

Aleesha Powell was getting knocked around like a feather out there today. She's got way too slim a build to hang, and if she's not getting calls on clipping, she's even worse off. She was too heavily guarded to get off a good shot, and she kept trying to get off bad ones. Damika Martinez came on late, but made some very bad decisions on the baseline- knocked the ball out of a teammate's hands on one rebound, pursued another out on the next opportunity. She had a pretty assist in the first half to Sabrina Jeridore down low. Sabrina started the game red hot, but didn't play as much in the second half and didn't have as many easy looks. Didn't help that she, like so many of her teammates, was missing shots at the rim. Easy ones that should have gone donw. Joy Adams looked to be lacking energy early on, but picked it up in the second half. Haley D'Angelo did what Haley does, which is not shoot all that often, but not make too many mistakes. Her ballhandling wasn't as sharp as usual, but she got after all her fumbles.

Hit your shots, Gaels. Hit your lay-ups, hit your free throws, take every chance you have, because it's patently obvious that you're not going to be given anything. The officiating in this game was a hot mess. Marist was getting away with a lot of tripping and clipping. We got away with some blatant non-calls (Aleesha, there's no tackling in basketball), but there's something not kosher about the free throw differential. That all didn't help. Did it make the difference in the game? Psychologically, maybe. But you can't go down that road.

It's on to Springfield now, where the games really matter and everything's on the line. This is the time. This is the moment. This is the year.

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January 13th, 2013: Iona at Marist

Just the Facts, Ma'am: 25 turnovers doomed the Iona Gaels at the McCann Center, as Marist pulled away early to claim a 69-55 victory. Emma O'Connor led the Red Foxes with 16 points, while Casey Dulin added nine of her 13 in the second half. Damika Martinez of Iona led all scorers with 17 points, but she and Joy Adams, with 14, were the only Gaels in double figures.

For impressive paneling, a flurry of staff, lots of turnovers, howling hyenas, second-hand embarrassment, bad Gaelic, and smart coaching, join your intrepid and squeaky blogger after the jump.

Good afternoon, everyone! We're coming to you on tape delay from the genuinely gorgeous McCann Center on the grounds of Marist College. Seriously, this is pretty much the epitome of what a college arena should look like and feel like. The seats are comfortable, the wood paneling is cozy, all the amenities are available, people are already trickling in at a steady rate even more than an hour before the game- you know it's going to be a good crowd, and believe me, it's also a loud crowd. About the only thing I might have done differently is pick a different color for the seats. I'd be at a lot more Marist games if train fare weren't $31.50 round-trip. But it makes for a nice expedition.

Whoever picked out the music is a Lady Gaga fan. We could definitely have done worse. I'm serious, the only thing I don't love about the McCann Center is that it's so far away from me.

At half, it's 30-18 in Marist's favor, and it could be a lot worse for the Gaels. They've been called for something like four or five offensive fouls, and I can only really argue the last one. Marist has done a fantastic job of staying just outside the circle and drawing charges. Iona's gotten very timid, taking a lot of outside shots and not going strong when they do drive. There's way too much dribbling going on. Haley D'Angelo has been stripped twice, badly- but the offense has looked even worse when she's out of the game. Move without the ball! It's not that hard, is it?

They just did a presentation for the alumnae, so I had to pause and applaud for Élise Caron and Corielle Yarde. They brought in a few of the ladies from the '80s as well, which is awesome.

I'm also enjoying the wrinkle in the game of musical chairs- when the music stops, the players have to run and hit a lay-up before they can sit down. Keeps them from fighting over the chairs. Though with that much extra work, you'd think they'd give them more than just a t-shirt.

The Iona fans behind us are loud, which I appreciate as someone who 's cheering for Iona, but if we meet again at Carnesecca Arena, there are probably going to be words, and most of them are probably going to start with F.

I kind of wish the Marist fans would get more into it, though. I feel like we shouldn't be the loudest people in the arena. It didn't help that there was a very loud Iona contingent directly behind us; if you listened to their point of view, you'd swear that Marist traveled every time they touched the ball and Iona should have gotten free throws on every shot. I was starting to get embarrassed that people would think I was affiliated with them. Swearing in front of a two-year-old is uncouth, and suggesting that the Marist booster club paid off the refs is a recipe for trouble. The Marist event staffers assigned to our section looked so stressed out that I wanted to give them cookies.

Shonice Hawkins brought a nice little spark off the bench in the second half, nabbing a steal and getting to the line. She got called for a couple of ticky-tack fouls, which is probably going to be the recurring theme of these notes. I do not know why Jiya Dorcas-Eya was in the game at the juncture she first came in during- okay, objectively I do, because Sabrina Jeridore needed to be yelled at, and there were too many tall Red Foxes on the floor for Iona to consider going small. But she was pretty clearly in over her head. Either Cassidee Ranger needs to be more aggressive in calling for her shot or her teammates have to have more confidence giving her the ball. I can think of at least two plays where she was so wide open in the corner that calling her the Lone Ranger wouldn't have been that bad a pun. At this point in her young collegiate career, that's her specialty; why on earth wouldn't you play to it, especially when your game plan seems to be relying heavily on jumpers? I'll be more impressed with her if her rebounding continues, and if she can perform that little poke-check consistently on the defensive end. I think Diana Hubbard only came in near the end of the game, and she took a three that almost should have gone in. I think. I'm working off memory without much of a box score to back me up. Aleesha Powell played well in heavy rotation off the bench, though she got nailed by the ticky-tack foul monster as well. She's fast- she's got to stay closer on defense, though.

I think Joy Adams got frustrated with the officiating, and the Marist defense, and not being able to get the shots she wanted, and I think it got to her. She really didn't step up in this game until it was essentially done, when the only thing she could do was keep the margin from exploding any further after Damika Martinez picked up her fourth foul and had to play more tentatively. Then suddenly her shots were going down and she was getting to the line, and she was able to get on the boards. I don't know what was up with Haley D'Angelo's head today, but she didn't play well at all. She spent way too much time dribbling, and doing so unsteadily. She kept losing her dribble to Marist defenders because she was too slow. Damika Martinez got nailed with some tough second half calls, including a technical for a shoving match with Kristina Danella. I think her teammates were expecting her to carry too much of the load, even when she was being doubled or tripled, and she was trying too hard to make something happen by herself. (Which was a general problem for Iona. Way too much standing around and trying to figure out what they should do.) Sabrina Jeridore needed to be more aggressive- the play where Dorcas-Eya came in was after Jeridore kicked out what should have been an easy putback. We're talking “not even thinking of shooting” when even the most timid post would have put that ball back towards the basket and at least attempted to draw a foul. She got yelled at very thoroughly on the bench for that one, and she was a little tougher the rest of the game. She's always been tough on defense when I've seen her, but she was just a little more determined on the boards. Aaliyah Robinson didn't stand out, except I think she was one of the Gaels with a nice little lay-up that got taken off the board because of a block/charge call.

Natalie Gomez mostly got her minutes when the lead seemed insurmountable- when Marist was up big in the first half and at the end of the game. Casey Dulin came off the bench in the first half, but started in the second, and in the second she was more of a sparkplug than she was in the first, penetrating into the lane and getting shots that made the crowd cheer. I think one was an and-1, but I'd have to cross-reference with a play-by-play, and on the Hudson River line, Internet's a bit of an issue. But she made things happen for them whenever Iona seemed to be getting close. Madeline Blais played a fair bit in the first half, hit a couple of free throws, and was generally tall and rather inconvenient to the Iona players. Kristina Danella did a good job of drawing fouls and getting to the line. Something around her face and her shoulders and her three-point shot reminds me a little of Cathrine Kraayeveld, albeit with much darker hair and less inclination to jack up threes at the drop of a hat.

Kristine Best was another player who managed to make things happen, whether it was with her shot or with her passing. She seemed to be everywhere at once. Very fast, very smart, ran a good game. I was expecting to be more impressed with Sydney Coffey, since she's a freshman who managed to crack Brian Giorgis's starting lineup, but she really didn't seem to be much of a factor, at least on offense. I did manage to chart three first-half rebounds, a block, and a nice defensive play before I realized I was not made to chart rebounds and still watch the game, so maybe he brought her in for her defense. Leanne Ockenden had a couple of twos go in and out on her, clearly demonstrating that she needs to stick to the thing that she's so good at- the three-point shot that's gotten her into the Marist record books and climbing the list. Emma O'Connor was a match-up nightmare for Iona- tall with the mindset of a shooter. She exploited the mismatch well. Elizabeth Beynnon (the artist formerly known as Kelsey; to confuse everyone even more, the PA guy calls her El) got going in the second half, hitting the boards and slipping behind the Iona defense for lay-ups.

Two things impressed me about Marist as a team: their quick hands on defense, low and fast moving, and their positioning on drives to the lane. We screamed and wailed about the constant stream of charges being laid against the Gaels, but for the most part, Marist cleverly positioned themselves just outside the tiny collegiate charge circle and got set. I wasn't completely certain on a couple; of course, the folks behind us were dead certain that they were all lies and part of a greater conspiracy to hand Marist the game without them having to work for it. But I have the utmost respect for Giorgis as a coach, and it fascinates me when you can actually see the little things being done. It's rare in this game, unfortunately.

T-shirt throwing tour guides! With the band and the cheerleaders still on winter break, Marist was a bit short of people to throw t-shirts to the audience. So while they were advertising Walkway over the Hudson, they had the trail “ambassadors” throwing the shirts. They did not seem terribly enthusiastic about it, but they went through the motions well enough. The guys from the pizza joint who threw shirts in the second half were a bit more experienced.

The officiating got both coaches steamed, and I think Bozella had the greater case, but not by as much as the partisans behind us believed. I feel bad for Cassidee Ranger, who got bodied back into her own bench with no call while touch fouls were being assessed against Iona on the other end. Some of the bad calls started to go against Marist in the second half, but that wasn't so much making the officiating more accurate as it was making it more balanced in its apparent disconnection from the basketball game being played at the time. What bothered me most was that there was a sudden spate of fouls called against Marist in the last two minutes of the game that had not been violations called earlier in the game, which made the aggregate totals look much more balanced than they were through most of the game. Believe me, I'm not going to say the Gaels were angels; I've seen their physicality too many times to believe that, though they were uncharacteristically timid today. The block/charge calls seemed fair to me. And I do think Iona has earned a reputation that's not going to get them any favors from the officials. But I did not think this crew called the game very well at all.

They kept the alumnae theme running through the second half, inviting them up for the timeout entertainment. It was adorable, in a strange way. Loyalty is a beautiful thing.

The rematch is going to be interesting. I'm sorry I'll have to miss it. But I still think Marist is going to have more of a fight in the MAAC than they have had in the past.

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January 22nd, 2011: Marist at Manhattan

Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Marist Red Foxes allowed the Manhattan Jaspers first blood, then turned on the afterburners to win 75-52. Brandy Gang led Marist with 19 points in her 23 minutes, while Corielle Yarde added 17 and Erica Allenspach added 14. Abby Wentworth of Manhattan led all scorers with 20 points.

For bitter cold, anthems with vibrato, yummy hot cocoa, fancy footwork, sassy pigeons, and drunken alumnae, join your intrepid and freezing blogger after the jump.
We haven't done it as much this season as we normally do, but we do like to travel around the city and see what games there are to see. We had a choice between Wagner hosting Sacred Heart and Manhattan hosting Marist. Well, we've never been to Wagner, and it's been a long time since I've climbed the hills of the Bronx to go visit Draddy Gymnasium, so either way it was going to be an adventure. But the lure of seeing Marist in action again won out, so off we went on the A to the 1 to the end of the line.

Either the last time I went I got bad directions, or they added an elevator since I was there last, but the trip was much less arduous than when I went with my mother a couple of years ago. Up a few flights of stairs and around an elevator, and you're at a building that looks like something out of a suburban high school. It doesn't even look like the high school gym, but the front entrance to the school.

Special thanks must go to the lovely young lady who sold us our tickets and hooked us up with a scorecard and the media game notes. She was charming and helpful and friendly. Plus, the scorecard is really nifty- it's also a mini-team poster with the roster and the season preview printed on the back with the scorecard bit. We may put it on the wall somewhere.

Marist traveled very well. Of course, it helped that Casey Dulin's family made the trip from Connecticut, and the O'Connor shirt on one fan hinted at someone else's family as well. For the most part, they were pretty awesome, except for the one guy over by Manhattan's bench who thought it would be cute to get DE-FENSE chants going when Marist was up 25. I quietly listened to the two guys behind us who talked about the freshmen so I would actually know something about this team beyond Allenspach and Yarde.

There's a lot about the Manhattan experience I like. The announcer sounds like the prototypical small-college announcer, the tickets are affordable, the people are nice, the jerseys have names on them... but they should really turn the heat on. We were freezing, even in multiple layers. Fortunately, one of Manhattan's concessions is really good hot cocoa. Mmmm, hot cocoa. That sounds like a really good idea right now, actually.

We got to see a lot of the back end of Marist's bench in this one; Giorgis made an effort to work his reserves into the game early in the second half instead of just waiting for garbage time and unloading all of them at once. Casey Dulin got a lot of support from her family; a few of them were wearing shirts with her name on the back, which was a good hint as to their loyalties. Emily Stallings had all the chances in the world to get on the scoreboard, but she missed a lot of easy shots. It was kind of depressing. Maria Laterza had the same problem, though she made more of an impact on the defensive end. Kristine Best saw a lot of time as the reserve point guard, and I'm not sure if she's going to fit into the system as nicely as their current guards do- she has some of Caron's mindset, but too much offensive instinct to be the kind of distributor that Marist's system really needs. They got some very good minutes out of Kelsey Beynnon as offense off the bench. Emma O'Connor put in some work on the boards. She was popular with the people behind us.

Brandy Gang came out like... okay, I'm sorry, I'm tired and it's been a long day, my ability to resist bad puns is nonexistent... she came out like gangbusters. She was on fire. She had the inside game going, and then when she got bored with that, she started hitting threes. There was a point where she was almost outscoring Manhattan singlehandedly. She cooled off in the second half, but she also sat for most of it, because the Red Foxes really didn't need her. Élise Caron reminds me a lot of Debbie Black in her defensive tenacity. She gets up in your business like very few players I've ever seen. Her ball-handling and passing are a little sloppy, though, which makes the Black comparison a little less apt. Corielle Yarde took some time to get warmed up, but she turned it up in the second half, including with a nice shot off a deflection by Laterza. Kate Oliver appears to be a nice kid, and a tall kid, but she couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. There were one or two shots that I was fairly certain that I could have hit. She needs to get more assertive; at least she's only a sophomore and has time to do that. Erica Allenspach's rebounding, for a guard, is phenomenal. She was all over the place. I think half her points were on putbacks or on second chances that her offensive rebounding created. I love players like that. Fierce.

Marist's offense is fun to watch. There's a lot of misdirection and a lot of ball movement. Giorgis is also an interesting coach to watch. One of the best moments of the game was his frustrated command, “Stop going baseline!” delivered in the voice of someone who had been chaperoning the fourth-grade field trip just a little bit too long and had shepherded one too many youngsters away from the edge.

Monica Roeder impressed me off the bench. For a big girl- not in height, but in girth- she's got some nice touch. She's only a freshman, so she'll have time to work on being more assertive inside and showing better shot selection. Toni-Ann Lawrence really needs to work on her pass-catching. Her hands were like stone. It was sort of sad. Schyanne Halfkenny has an awesome name, but she really didn't contribute much. Manhattan didn't go very deep into their bench, to put it mildly.

Alyssa Herrington didn't play a lot for a starter- I think she was almost a straight swap with Toni-Ann Lawrence. It didn't really matter, as neither of them was very effective. It was hard to say anything like that during the game, because I think we were sitting near her family, if the reaction of the people behind us to the left when she hit her only shot was any indication. I really like Nadia Peters's tenacity and toughness on the boards, but either they need to get her the ball more, or they need to show why they don't give her the ball more, because it didnt' make sense that they weren't going to her when she showed that she could get position and defend her space. But then, I'm not a coach, so perhaps there's some reason she doesn't get the ball. I don't know. Maggie Blair started the game, but didn't play a lot; maybe Roeder was in trouble, or maybe Olenowski just doesn't believe in starting freshmen, but it seemed like Roeder was playing the minutes that Blair would get if Blair were an ordinary starter. Lindsey Loutsenhizer had a solid game. Nothing terribly remarkable for good or for ill. Abby Wentworth stole the show in the second half, going inside and out with a combination of a pretty jump shot and some slick moves in the lane. She also got herself to the line a fair amount of times. I'm still not thrilled with some of her tendencies on the defense (no, Abigail, it's not likely that Élise Caron will give you a piggyback ride, she's much smaller than you are and she's on the opposing team, so please stop attempting to keep her warm by doing your best imitation of Superman's cape), but at least she didn't act like she thought anyone on Marist had set her puppy on fire.

The referees were very inclined to let a lot of things go. There werne't a lot of calls on just about anything, and the play didn't edge over into overly physical, though there were a couple of fouls that could have been called (Emily Stallings, I am looking at you).l I can't say I'm happy with officials letting players get away with shoddy footwork, (Élise Caron, I am looking at you; when all is said and done, you could have walked halfway to the Canadian border with all those extra steps) but as long as it's called evenly on both sides, that counts as a fairly called game, and that's part of the point of officiating, right?

Really, though, the most amusing bits of the Game Notes- you know, the random things I toss in to keep you all smiling- happened on our way back. Ah, adventures on MTA, New York City Transit, Going Your Way (only during rush hours, service changes may apply at all times, with red lights and random delays thrown in without warning). The station nearest Manhattan College is an elevated station, and inevitably, outdoor stations have some encounters with wildlife. We got on the train, and there was a pigeon standing near the middle door of the car. We shooed it out the door. It promptly looped back through the next door and got back on the train. We shooed it out again, and this time it took the hint. There was just something indescribably New York about its demeanor. Then, of course, on the train in Queens, we encountered a random Manhattan alumna who was in the condition of most recent college graduates on a Saturday night in New York City. Lucky for her that she found us- she was on the wrong train! So that worked out.

See, this is why I love traveling to games. The adventure doesn't stop until you're safely ensconced at home, fingers flying over the keyboard, two different kinds of music conflicting in your ears as you worry about your seating arrangements and the fact that the computer is making you uncomfortably warm.

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February 8th, 2009: Loyola at Marist

Marist Red Foxes 86, Loyola Greyhounds 53

The Game Notes fall in love and depend on the kindness of strangers.


I think I may be in love. But not enough that I'm gonna spend $27 on train fare on a regular basis.

Note to future travelers from Grand Central Station to Poughkeepsie: HopStop will tell you that it's a mile and a half on foot from the Metro-North station to Marist. Take a cab. That mile and a half starts out in a sketchy neighborhood, involves a lot of hills, and culminates in a patch sans sidewalk right near Route 9. It's doable if you have nerves of steel and good stamina, but you'd be better off cabbing it.

The McCann Center is positively adorable. It's efficiently set up, for the most part, though they could do with another aisle for the center sections. It's obviously meant for sports that require a larger space, but the basketball teams make good use of the excess by setting up the snack carts, sponsor stations, and smoking exit behind the general admission section in the endcourt. The reserved seating is worth the extra $2- o noes, you're paying $7 for Top 25 basketball. Bring a seat cushion, though. The wooden bleachers are hard, and given Marist's crowds, you're not likely to have much room to stretch your legs on the seat in front of you. I do like the wood paneling of the room, and the extra scoreboard in the corner.

Marist has one of the best atmospheres I've experienced all season. Unlike many of the schools I've visited this season, they have a band, and a full band about forty strong, at that, with a very enthusiastic band director. They have both cheerleaders and dance team. They have flags. They have a slightly snarky announcer. They have a fight song. And they have fans. Oh, do they have fans. I can't remember the last time I was at a women's basketball game where I had people on both sides of me, people in front of me, and people behind me. The Brian Giorgis bobble-head giveaway was for the first thousand fans- and they ran out. I'm not used to this. St. John's still has leftovers from their season-opening giveaway.

(As for the bobble-head, I think my favorite parts are the lovingly rendered drawstring on Coach's sweatpants and the precision of the Marist logo on the jacket.)

Marist started off pitching a four-and-a-half-minute shutout, while putting 12 on the board themselves. It took about five minutes for Loyola to get a rebound. I'm not exaggerating here; Marist's scorecards include rebounding numbers, and I tried to keep track. I'm not very good at tallying the boards, though. The sheer magnitude of the ass-whuppin' meant that the reserves got lots and lots of time. Rachele Fitz only played half the game, and still put up 18 and 9; more impressively, after she sat with 13 minutes to go, Marist actually extended their lead by ten points. What I find amazing about her is that she finds ways to ensure that the ball goes in the basket. It just does. She gets hit, ball goes in the basket. It's more surprising when she misses a shot than when she hits one. Viani seemed off her game- again, I think teams are keying on her and forcing the ball out of her hands. Unfortunately for them, her teammates are just as good at setting each other up. She might be better served moving to the two-guard permanently and putting the offense in Elise Caron's hands. I'm really liking Erica Allenspach, who got over the reluctance to shoot that she displayed at Iona, and also showed off her very quick hands, much to the dismay of Loyola's ballhandlers. Laterza was working hard on the boards, and was a big presence inside that I'm not sure Loyola knew how to deal with. But the extent of the lead allowed Giorgis to play with his lineups and really get his reserves into the game. And again, I found myself really enjoying Corielle Yarde's play. She has some of Fitz's knack for making sure the ball goes into the basket, and she never gives up on a play- occasionally to her detriment. If she finds a lower gear to shift into when necessary, she could be the next big thing for the Red Foxes. Very solid bench play, overall. And it's always nice to see the last player off the bench- in this case, Courtney Kolesar- hit one, and the place erupted when she canned a three.

Obviously, it's hard to judge the talent and quality of a team when that team gives up 12-0 runs and loses by 30. The scoring tends to be limited, as do the rebound chances. That being said, Loyola seemed to depend on the three-point shot- perhaps they figured that having an on day was the only chance they had at coming into McCann and defeating Marist. And it sort of worked, with Siobhan Prior notching four treys and Ashley Alexander putting in three of her own. Marist was daring those two to shoot, and that was really the end of the story. I thought Kaitlin Grant did a pretty good job rebounding in the time she had- she picked up her third foul early in the second half and had to sit for a long time. Either she or Candice Walker was fairly hot-tempered when it came to foul calls- understandable, since Loyola did kinda get shafted in the first half. Melissa Bangay, off the bench, got some good looks inside- of course, the fact that the 6-1 forward was being defended by 5-4 guard Kristine Best might have had something to do with it, and credit Best with cojones. Loyola's coach seemed pretty desperate for answers- he called three or four timeouts when Marist was on their various runs, and I almost wanted to go down there and tell him that there really wasn't any way to stop what was coming.

Nice timeout management by the Red Foxes, as an aside, though it's a habit they shouldn't get into for close games: Yarde and Allenspach each used a timeout to maintain possession on what would otherwise be a jump ball, and both times Loyola had the arrow. Hey, you're up 25 and you don't get bonus points for keeping them, might as well use them strategically.

I had forgotten how much I missed the pageantry that is supposed to come attached to college basketball. It makes me wish St. John's had a clue.

But let's end this entry in a happy place. The people on both sides of me were very nice, especially the ladies on my left who, when I asked for a recommendation on what taxi company to call to get back to the Metro-North station (because, see above re: mile and a half hilly walk through sketchy neighborhoods and across highway) offered me a lift instead. My heartfelt and sincere thanks once again go out to them, and I hope to see them again during March Madness.

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February 1st, 2009: Marist at Iona

Marist Red Foxes 69, Iona Gaels 60

The Game Notes of Doom take in a classic clash of MAAC teams, and come away quite impressed with Rachele Fitz- and with the Iona Gaels' style.


All right. Now this is how you do it right, as compared to St. John's, where the ultimate goal seems to be finding out how wrong they can do it. Hold your heads up, Iona, if you aren't already. This is a reloading year, not a rebuilding year.

Iona has a very lovely campus, surprisingly old-fashioned for a school that was founded in 1940. So far, it's the only one I've been to that you really do need to grab a taxi to get to from the nearest train, though there's a bus that runs once every blue moon. And the arena is very nice, with a few practical amenities I could wish for BCS facilities. The auxiliary stat board, for one thing; throughout the game, it showed all the basic stats. I want one for Christmas. I'd also like a scoreboard team that actually uses the graphics panel on the main scoreboard for topical graphics and salient statistics for players at the line.

Signs you might have arrived at the game a little earlier than you should: the taxi you're in cuts off the road team's bus on the way there. Also, while you're waiting for the ticket office to open, Brian Giorgis wanders by, worrying that the bus driver has left because he had a card in the bus for someone.

Iona takes their team colors very seriously. Everything there is maroon and gold, except for the dance team- they wear gold with black pants in order to differentiate themselves from the cheerleaders. Bonus points for putting netting over the pipes on the ceiling. I can't believe none of the other arenas I've been to have done this. Such a simple precaution...

They does their introductions very snazzily- though I don't think they can actually shut the lights, they dim them, and the dance team goes into the stands and shakes their collective moneymaker. It's very professional-level. Hell, except for the Unfortunate Implications of having an all-female dance team performing to "Dude Looks Like a Lady", Iona puts together a better show than the BEast schools I visit on a regular basis. A PA announcer with a smooth voice, a kickin' sound system with great taste in music... if it weren't for the $12 train fare, I might shift conferences and become a MAAC momma.

Good fucking Lord, Rachele Fitz. She doesn't quit. And she seemed to love my camera; every time I took a picture of her taking a shot, she made it. I know she's more of a power forward at this level, but I think she's got the skillset to make the transition to the three in the pros. Not a great game for Viani, but since Iona predicated their first line of defense on getting the ball out of her hands as soon as possible, I can't really judge her. Maria Laterza's got good size, but she makes mistakes she shouldn't be making in the second half of sophomore year. She started, but Brandy Gang played more minutes and made more of an impact- she had one great block in the second half, and like many of her teammates, spent a lot of time diving on the floor. Allenspach seemed scared to shoot the long ball for some reason, even though she had quite a few open looks; only in the second half did she start taking those shots- and hitting them. I liked what I saw out of reserve Corielle Yarde, though that's one of those things I can't put my finger on. Marist's shooting, especially in the first half, sealed this win; you hit more than half your shots in the first half, and you get to the line often enough, you're going to pull most games out no matter how many times you turn the ball over.

Because Marist got turned over a lot. Give credit to Iona- they play one hell of a defense. They keyed in on Viani and Fitz, and for a while it worked. Then Fitz started really getting loose, and it was downhill from there. But their guard corps swarmed Viani, with Kristina Ford, Naeemah Ricketts, and Marissa Flagg all taking turns at her. Ricketts and Flagg were especially tough on her, and Ricketts runs a mean fast break. This game might have been a lot different if Kristina Ford had been able to hit the broad side of a barn; she finished 2/19 from the field, and a lot of those shots were very difficult ones- yes, a lot of them because of Marist's defense, but she seemed to be going for degree of difficulty a lot of the time. I like her instincts, though; she looked like a good player who was having a really, really bad game. I remembered Thazina Cook from Iona's occasional visits to St. Joh's, and she didn't fail to disappoint: very solid game for her, with a great knack for getting to the line. I thought Suzi Fregosi ran a good game- the team definitely struggled on offense when she was out. Iona seems to have built the basic MAAC template of bruising posts and small guards. They've got a Serbian center with a lot of potential, Milica Paligoric. She's only a freshman, but she's fierce on the boards. And fierce, period; there's something to be said for a woman who wears eyeblack for an indoor game. The former Yugoslavia has been fertile recruiting ground for Bozzella's team, since he starts a Serb and a Croat. Ivkovic is a damn good shooter, though her primal screams unnerved me a little bit. I'll credit Iona with a lot of class- since Marist dove for a lot of balls, they spent a lot of time on the floor, and there were two occasions when the nearest player to a fallen Red Fox was a Gael and the Iona player helped the Marist player up. We just don't see that kind of class often enough anymore.

Play of the game: Marist beat the shot clock a couple of times- once with Allenspach under the basket, making the extra pass to Fitz, once with Fitz returning the favor by feeding Allenspach for a three. I love when things like that happen. It seems like a sign of good chemistry to me.

Unsurprisingly, Marist brought a large contingent. Given that the schools aren't that far from each other, and given that Metro-North runs to both New Rochelle and Poughkeepsie, I would have expected more. A nice, loud bunch, though complaining about fouls not being called when the differential is 9 Iona fouls to 3 for Marist is a bit much.

The camera decided to cooperate this time, so pictures are here.

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