EDISON, New Jersey – Sophomore guard
Rebekah Hand and junior forward
Maura Fitzpatrick have been selected to the women's basketball preseason All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference second and third team, respectively, as announced by the conference on Tuesday.
Hand won a trifecta of Rookie of the Year awards last season, being named the MAAC, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), and Met Writers Rookie of the Year. Hand averaged 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 30 starts for Marist. The guard led MAAC freshmen in scoring, rebounding, free-throw percentage (80.4%), defensive rebounds per game (4.6), and minutes per game (35.9).
Fitzpatrick is coming off a strong sophomore campaign in which she played and started all 32 games for the Red Foxes and averaged 12.3 points, five rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Fitzpatrick was second on the team in minutes played, averaging 36.5 per contest. Fitzpatrick saw her field goal, three point, and free throw percentage all rise from her freshman to sophomore season.
The Marist women's basketball team has also been selected second in the 2017-18 coaches' preseason poll, marking a return to the top three in the poll after an absence last season, the first time the Red Foxes hadn't received a top three preseason poll position since head coach
Brian Giorgis' second season at the helm.
The preseason poll is voted on by all 11 head coaches in the MAAC and the Red Foxes received a total of 109 points in the poll. Last season Marist finished 11-9 in the MAAC and 15-17 overall.
At the top of the poll, Quinnipiac University has been selected as the Preseason favorite to win the 2018 MAAC Women's Basketball Championship. The Bobcats were unanimously selected for first-place receiving 121 points.
Iona College (81) ranked third in the poll, Fairfield University (77) followed in fourth, and Monmouth University (71) was picked fifth. Rider University (68) placed sixth, in seventh place was Canisius College (60), and Siena College (55) in eighth. Niagara University (39), Manhattan College (34), and Saint Peter's University (11) rounded out the Preseason Coaches' Poll in the final three slots.
The 2018 MAAC Basketball Championships returns to the Times Union Center in Albany, NY for the fourth year in a row and continues to be the host site for the Championships through 2019. The 2018 Men's and Women's Championships marks the 19th time that Albany has hosted the event, more than any other location.
The Red Foxes open their season with two straight home non-conference games against Navy on Friday, November 10
th and then Holy Cross on Tuesday, November 14
th.
Red Fox Club season tickets are on sale for the 2017-18 season. For more information, please
click here.
| Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| 1. |
Quinnipiac* (11) |
121 |
| 2. |
Marist |
109 |
| 3. |
Iona |
81 |
| 4. |
Fairfield |
77 |
| 5. |
Monmouth |
71 |
| 6. |
Rider |
68 |
| 7. |
Canisius |
60 |
| 8. |
Siena |
55 |
| 9. |
Niagara |
39 |
| 10. |
Manhattan |
34 |
| 11. |
Saint Peter's |
11 |
| Preseason All-MAAC First Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Alexis Lewis |
Guard |
Iona |
| Victoria Rampado |
Forward |
Niagara |
| Jen Fay |
Forward |
Quinnipiac |
| Aryn McClure |
Guard/Forward |
Quinnipiac |
| Kollyns Scarbrough |
Guard |
Siena |
| Preseason All-MAAC Second Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Sara Hinriksdottir |
Forward |
Canisius |
| Kayla Grimme |
Center |
Manhattan |
| Amani Tatum |
Guard |
Manhattan |
| Rebekah Hand |
Guard |
Marist |
| Kamila Hoskova |
Guard |
Rider |
| Preseason All-MAAC Third Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Samantha Cooper |
Forward |
Fairfield |
| Maura Fitzpatrick |
Guard |
Marist |
| Kayla Shaw |
Guard |
Monmouth |
| Kaylee Stroemple |
Forward |
Niagara |
| Stella Johnson |
Guard |
Rider |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Aryn McClure |
Guard/Forward |
Quinnipiac |
*denotes unanimous selection
