Editor's Note: As a tribute to head coach Brian Giorgis' 21 years at Marist, we will highlight one milestone win of his career each week over a 21-week span. Giorgis' final home game as the Red Foxes' head coach will be Feb. 25, 2023 against Niagara. The game is set for a 2 p.m. tip, with a ceremony to follow afterward.

Week One: Giorgis' First Win | Week Two: First Regular-Season Title | Week Three: '04 MAAC Championship | Week Four: '06 MAAC Championship | Week Five: '07 MAAC Championship | Week Six: First NCAA Tournament Win | Week Seven: Red Foxes Reach Sweet Sixteen
 
POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – As Brian Giorgis' sixth season was about to unfold in 2007-08, the Marist women's basketball program had officially reached dynasty status.
 
Marist had been to three NCAA Tournaments in the past four years and was coming off a Sweet Sixteen run. Giorgis was rewarded over the summer with a contract extension through 2014. The Red Foxes returned over 90 percent of their scoring from the previous year and were picked first in the MAAC preseason poll for the first time – unanimously. All four returning starters – Rachele Fitz (first team), Meg Dahlman (first team), Nikki Flores (third team), Julianne Viani (third team) – made preseason all-conference teams, with Fitz tabbed as Preseason Player of the Year as a sophomore.
 
Of course, change is constant from year-to-year, and Giorgis' first recruiting class of Alisa Kresge, Shannon Minter, Kristin Hein, and Mary Alice Duff had graduated. Kresge had earned well-deserved recognition for her leadership at the point guard position and prowess on the defensive end, particularly during the Sweet Sixteen run. At one point in the postseason, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Commissioner Rich Ensor had mentioned that he wanted to hire Kresge. Ensor was true to his word, as Kresge became his point guard (ahem, director) of women's basketball operations.
 
Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, and the Red Foxes were hitting the jackpot annually. One superstar leaves, another joins the fold. Erica Allenspach stood 5-foot-8 and was not heavily recruited but drew Giorgis' attention for her all-around game and ability to make her teammates better. The Red Foxes also received significant contributions from Elise Caron, who helped solidify the point guard position for the next four years, and 6-foot-3 Maria Laterza, who did the same at center.
 
Ironically enough, Marist opened the 2007-08 season at Ohio State. The Buckeyes prevailed 63-57, although Allenspach tied Lynzee Johnson for the team lead with 12 points. The Red Foxes responded by reeling off a 10-game winning streak, which was highlighted by a tremendous run at the Oahu Classic in Hawaii. An overtime triumph over Utah on Thanksgiving night preceded a seven-point win over Nebraska the following night. These victories grew in stature as the season unfolded, and the Red Foxes capped off the tournament with a 24-point win over Eastern Washington.
 
Marist dropped a non-conference home game to Hartford on Dec. 12, but the Red Foxes' next game at Albany 10 days later marked the start of two long and successful runs. Allenspach entered the starting lineup and stayed there for the next three-and-a-half years. The 75-71 Marist victory was also the first of a then-program record 22 straight wins for the Red Foxes.
 
This streak included an undefeated run through MAAC play. The conference introduced an 18-game schedule when Marist and Rider joined in the 1997-98 season. In the 10 previous years of the arrangement, no team had gone 18-0 until the Red Foxes accomplished the feat in 2007-08. En route to perfection, Marist won seemingly in every way possible. The Red Foxes won close games (at Loyola and Manhattan by identical scores of 61-59 over a span of three days), blowouts (nine by over 20), and everything in-between. They held five conference foes under 50 points and scored over 80 six times.
 
After their Sweet Sixteen run, the Red Foxes could no longer hide behind the cloak of anonymity. Marist was receiving votes in the national polls from the start of the season. On Feb. 12, the Red Foxes earned their first in-season national ranking in program history when they were tabbed #25 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll. Just 13 days later, Marist also entered the Top 25 of the Associated Press Poll.
 
The Red Foxes cleaned up when the conference awards were doled out. Fitz, who reached the 1,000-point milestone faster than anyone in program history (61 games), was named Player of the Year. Allenspach, who shot .503 from the field and .493 from three-point range, won Rookie of the Year. Johnson earned Sixth Player of the Year. For the fourth time in five years, Giorgis was named Coach of the Year. Flores and Viani were named to the second team.
 

MAAC Championship Run

Even with Marist's outstanding resume, an NCAA berth would not be completely assured unless the Red Foxes could pull off three more wins in the MAAC Championship. Marist received everyone's best shot.
 
Although Marist had defeated Canisius by a combined total of 72 points in the two regular-season games, the eighth-seeded Golden Griffins went toe-to-toe with the Red Foxes. Marist grabbed the lead for good five-and-a-half minutes into the second half as part of a 10-0 run in which Canisius was held scoreless for 6:38. The Red Foxes prevailed 54-44 as Flores, who went 6-for-6 from the line in the final 91 seconds, scored a team-high 13 points. In this era, the only person in New York who closed games with more longevity and success than Flores was Mariano Rivera.
 
A physical battle with fifth-seeded Saint Peter's was next. Although the Peahens fought hard, Marist was in control most of the way. Saint Peter's was held without a field goal for the first 7:44 of the second half, and Marist went 34-for-44 from the free-throw line in its 78-67 victory. It was the Red Foxes' program-record 30^th of the season, and they were in the MAAC final for the fifth straight year.
 
For the second straight year, Iona was the championship game foe. The Gaels led briefly around the midway point of the first half, but the Red Foxes seized control thanks to a 15-0 run. Flores scored nine straight Marist points, and the Red Foxes' lead ballooned to 30 in the second half. An 83-63 win punched Marist's NCAA Tournament ticket for the third straight year.
 
For a senior class that had produced so many quality performances in big games, it was fitting that Sarah Smrdel was named MAAC Tournament MVP and Flores was named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team. Smrdel shot .733 from the field while averaging 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. Fitz, who scored a game-high 20 in the final, also earned all-tournament honors.
 
As the Red Foxes prepared for another NCAA Tournament run, it was clear that they were not going to sneak up on anyone.
 

Coming Up Next

Winning another NCAA Tournament game was not as easy as 1-2-3, but it was as easy as 3-2-2.