POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist women's basketball team is set to open its 2017-18 season at home on Friday, November 10
th against Navy.
The Red Foxes have played against the Midshipmen twice in the programs history, splitting the results at one win a piece. The last time these opponents met was on December 1
st, 2000, with Marist losing to Navy 66-59 in Annapolis. The other time these two teams faced one another was on December 30
th, 1999, with the Red Foxes coming out on top 66-55 in Poughkeepsie.
After being picked to finish the season second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) preseason poll, the Red Foxes have their sights set on regaining the conference championship and earning a NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Preseason All-MAAC selections
Maura Fitzpatrick and
Rebekah Hand will be expected to be the main contributors to the team once again. Along with them, the Red Foxes have a lot to look forward to with the now eligible,
Alana Gilmer. The 6-foot redshirt sophomore from Massachusetts will play her first season as a Red Fox after transferring from Virginia Tech. At forward, she is a dynamic scorer who could potentially be a very prolific player for the team. Point guard duties will be interchangeable as
Hannah Hand, redshirt junior
Allie Clement, and incoming freshman
Allie Best could potentially take over the role.
Willow Duffell and
Gabi Redden will join junior and senior veterans
Lovisa Henningsdottir and
Kendall Baab down low. Both incoming freshman look to make an immediate impact for the team, but in different ways. Duffell's height at 6'2" allows her to get good position inside, while her length and shooting ability allows her to extend out to the mid-range area. Redden is more of a bruiser in the paint who has the strength to outlast anyone. Their different play styles will be exciting to see as they look to accompany the great shooting and height that Henningsdottir and Baab contribute.
BACKCOURT
The Red Foxes have a host of guards able to play both point and shooting guard positions. The ability to interchange both on and off ball will allow for a ton of combinations in the backcourt for head coach
Brian Giorgis. With the sophomore Hand twins mixing in with Clement and Best, the Red Foxes will be able to mix and match easily. They will also have
Grace Vander Weide joining the mix when she becomes eligible in December
.
Rebekah Hand stole the show last season. She started all 32 games for the Red Foxes, averaging 36 minutes per game, 13.7 points per game, and 6.8 rebounds per game in her rookie season. Hand took home some significant hardware a year ago after being named MAAC Rookie of the Week eight times, being an MAAC All-Rookie Team selection, as well as winning MAAC Rookie of the Year, ECAC Rookie of the Year, and Met Writer's Rookie of the Year. The team's leading scorer and most consistent player in 2016-17 will be leaned on heavily to have a repeat performance. With just one year under her belt, the sky's the limit for Hand.
Hannah Hand appeared in 29 games and started 26 for the Red Foxes, averaging 32.8 minutes per game, 10.2 points per game, and 4.7 rebounds per game in her rookie season. She was a two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week as well as a MAAC All-Rookie Team selection. An impressive freshman campaign only means we can expect more from her going into her sophomore season. Whether she is running the point or not, Hand will serve a vital role in the team's offensive scheme.
Maura Fitzpatrick was selected to the All-MAAC Preseason Third Team this year. As a sophomore, she started all 32 games for the Red Foxes, averaging 36.5 minutes per game, 12.3 points per game, and five rebounds per game. The team's best overall athlete was second on the team in scoring last season.
Allie Clement was a 2016-17 Preseason All-MAAC Third Team Selection. She started just three games before suffering a season ending knee injury, resulting in her redshirting the rest of the season. During her sophomore campaign, she finished first in the MAAC in three point field goals made per game (2.4) and fourth in the MAAC in three point shooting percentage (.370). The Red Foxes will be thrilled to have one of their most productive shooters back and healthy.
Allie Best is a freshman from Glen Gardner, NJ. She is an overall true point guard who can shoot the ball well and find the open person at the right time.
Vander Weide is a redshirt sophomore from West Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to Marist, she played for Missouri State as a true freshman. She appeared in 25 games, averaging 9.1 minutes per contest tallying 40 points, 31 rebounds, 21 assists and nine steals. She will be eligible to play after the first 6 weeks of the season due to her mid-season transfer a year ago.
The Red Foxes will be without starting point guard Clare Oberdorf this season. The two-sport athlete who also excels on the softball diamond will redshirt the season after suffering an injury during the final game of the 2016-2017 campaign.
FRONTCOURT
In the front court the Red Foxes will also be able to plug in players in many different positions with the ability to go big or small depending on matchups.
Kendall Baab is the lone senior for the Red Foxes. She appeared in 32 games and started three for the Red Foxes, averaging 16.6 minutes per game while scoring 4.0 points per game. As the team's eldest and most experienced, Baab will be expected to be one of the team's primary post players.
Junior
Lovisa Henningsdottir is coming off an impressive sophomore campaign. The junior from Iceland started all 32 games for the Red Foxes, averaging 27.7 minutes per game, 8.9 points per game, and 4.9 rebounds per game. Despite being a 6'2" forward, Henningsdottir is arguably one of the best shooters on the team. Last year, she was second on the team in three pointers made (50).
Molly Smith is a redshirt freshman from Shorewood, Minnesota. The 6'2 forward is very fundamentally sound down low, and like the other forwards on the team, she loves to extend her game behind the three point arc.
Alanna Gilmer is a redshirt sophomore from North Easton, Massachusetts. She redshirted her freshman year in 2016-2017 after transferring from Virginia Tech. Prior to college, Gilmer was ranked the 139
th overall player in the 2015 class by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.
Willow Duffell is a freshman from Harriman, New York. She's a very athletic 4/5 player who can get up and down the floor. Her athleticism for a post player gives her an advantage and allows her to fit in with the rest of the Red Foxes' post game.
Gabi Redden is another freshman forward. The 6'1" rookie from Hillsborough, New Jersey is a very powerful post player with great rebounding ability. Her strong frame allows her to bully the competition in the paint. Coach
Brian Giorgis believes her potential is "unlimited".
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
After the Red Foxes season opener against Navy (Nov. 10), the team will remain home to face Holy Cross (Nov. 14) before shipping up to Boston to take on Northeastern (Nov.19). Marist will then travel to Hawaii to take part in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown. While in Hawaii, the Red Foxes will play Hawaii (Nov. 24), University of Southern California (Nov. 25), and Purdue (Nov. 26).
After returning home, they will get right back on the road and visit Seton Hall (Nov. 30). Their next two games will take place at McCann Arena as they take on Dartmouth (Dec. 2) and Rhode Island (Dec. 6). The Red Foxes will then hit the road for one last road stretch before conference play. Those next three games include matchups against Boston University (Dec. 9), Temple (Dec. 16), and UMass (Dec. 21).
The Red Foxes open up conference play at Rider on Thursday, December 28
th. The first home conference game takes places a few days later on Saturday, December 30
th as Marist welcomes Monmouth to McCann Arena. From there, the Red Foxes then play every other game at home until they play back-to-back road games against Niagara (Jan. 26) and Canisius (Jan. 28). Their next two games are back at the McCann Arena as they face Iona (Feb. 1) and Siena (Feb 3). Their third to last game of the season could potentially be a huge game heading into the tournament, taking on the preseason favorite Quinnipiac Bobcats (Feb. 18) at McCann Arena.
The 2018 MAAC Basketball Championships returns to the Times Union Center in Albany, NY for the fourth year in a row and will continue to be the host site for the Championships through 2019. The 2018 MAAC Basketball Championships marks the 19th time that Albany has hosted the event, more than any other location.
SCOUTING THE MIDSHIPMENÂ
The Midshipmen ended the 2016-17 season with a 24-10 overall record, eventually losing to Virginia Tech in Round 2 of the WNIT. Navy was predicted to finish fourth in the 2017-18 Patriot League Pre-Season Poll. Returning for the Midshipmen this season includes senior Taylor Dunham, who finished second on the team last season in points per game (10.1).
HOW TO FOLLOW
You can follow along on the Marist women's basketball twitter account (@MaristWBB) and watch live on ESPN3.
NEXT UP
The Red Foxes return to the court on Tuesday, November 14
th and face the Holy Cross Crusaders at McCann Arena. The game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
