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 | Week Eight: '08 MAAC Championship | Week Nine: '08 NCAA Tournament Win Over DePaul | Week 10: '09 MAAC Championship | Week 11: '10 MAAC Championship | Week 12: '11 MAAC Championship | Week 13: '11 NCAA Tournament Win Over Iowa State
 
POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – When you win nine straight conference championships, there is no shortage of impressive statistics.
 
The dominance and clockwork efficiency the Marist women's basketball team consistently displayed in the MAAC Championship has to rank near the top of the list. In a predominantly one-bid conference, the Red Foxes needed to be at their best in early March or risk missing out on the NCAA Tournament. With the pressure at its highest, the Red Foxes won 28 straight games in MAAC Championship play from 2006 through 2015.
 
Only twice in those 28 wins did the Red Foxes find themselves down double digits at any point. The first came on March 3, 2012. With 13:53 left in the second half, Niagara held a 40-27 lead over Marist in the semifinal round.
 
But first, how we got to this point …  
Yes, Erica Allenspach had graduated. However, Corielle Yarde had established herself as a premier player in the conference. After averaging just over 10 minutes a game as a freshman, Yarde was a Second Team All-MAAC selection as a sophomore, and a First Team All-MAAC choice as a junior. The final game of her junior season was a 25-point, 12-rebound performance at Duke, and she entered her senior year with 999 career points. Yarde was named Preseason MAAC Player of the Year as Marist was a unanimous selection to repeat as champion.
 
Yarde has plenty of support as well. Fellow senior Brandy Gang was a Third Team All-MAAC selection the previous year, her first as a starter. Kelsey Beynnon, who saw increased playing time as a sophomore, was ready to step into the starting lineup as a junior. The previous year's freshman class of Casey Dulin, Leanne Ockenden, and Emma O'Connor was ready for more, with Ockenden earning a spot in the opening night starting lineup. Kristina Danella had arrived from UMass and provided instant offense off the bench.
 
As it turned out, Dulin's role grew more than originally anticipated. Senior point guard Kristine Best suffered a season-ending knee injury in early December, and Dulin took over at the point. She ended up being the Red Foxes' third-leading scorer behind Yarde and Gang.
 
The first couple months of the Red Foxes' season would follow a similar pattern over the next few seasons. There was a tough non-conference schedule in place that might include some growing pains, but there would also be plenty of highlights, and the team would be ready to go once conference played rolled around in January.
 
Yarde left little suspense in her pursuit of 1,000 points, as she scored the Red Foxes' first two of the season just 2:42 into the season opener against Villanova. The Red Foxes earned victories over Drake and South Dakota State in Cancun over Thanksgiving Weekend. They topped Auburn in a pre-Christmas Tournament hosted by Hofstra, which was their first win against an SEC team in program history. Marist had a 5-6 record on New Year's Day, but was ready for another dominant run through the MAAC schedule.
 
The Red Foxes zipped through MAAC play with a 17-1 record as they earned the #1 seed by two games over Fairfield. Although their streak of 34 straight wins against conference opponents came to an end, they went undefeated at home in MAAC play for the third straight season. Yarde was named Player of the Year, marking the fifth straight year a Red Fox had earned the honor. Brian Giorgis was named MAAC Coach of the Year for the sixth time. Gang was named Second Team All-MAAC, and Ockenden was a Third Team All-MAAC selection.
 

2012 MAAC Championship

The Red Foxes rolled to a 74-49 victory over Saint Peter's in the MAAC Championship quarterfinal round the day prior to their showdown with Niagara. Just 13 days earlier, it took the Red Foxes double overtime to prevail on the road against the Purple Eagles. With a berth in the MAAC final at stake, it was clear Marist was facing another stiff challenge.
 
As had been customary during this championship run, upperclassmen were ready to shine when the opportunity arose. Kelsey Beynnon picked a great time to have one of the signature games of her career.
 
Marist's 13-point deficit was whittled down to single digits for good with 8:29 to play on two free throws by Beynnon. With 4:47 to go, Beynnon's jumper tied the game at 43. Niagara went back up by four, but a three-pointer by Yarde and jumper by Dulin on back-to-back possessions gave Marist a 50-49 lead with 1:34 to go. Shy Britton's bucket put Niagara back up by one, but then the pendulum swung back to Marist as Gang hit two free throws with 31 seconds left.
 
With seven seconds remaining, Niagara's Lauren Gatto was fouled. She missed the first free throw, but tied the game at 52 by making the second. Marist was unable to score on its final possession, and the Red Foxes went to overtime for the first time in a MAAC Championship since their win in the final over Iona five years earlier.
 
On the first possession of overtime, Gatto drained two free throws. After that, Marist pitched a shutout. The Red Foxes scored the final 16 points of overtime for a 68-54 victory. Beynnon had her first career double-double with 23 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, four steals, and two blocked shots. Yarde finished with 16 points, eight assists, and four rebounds.
 
The championship game provided less drama but more history. The Red Foxes cruised to a 61-35 victory over Fairfield for their seventh straight MAAC crown. It was Giorgis' 250^th victory at Marist, and fittingly, the Red Foxes set a conference record for fewest points allowed in a championship game. Yarde, who had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against Fairfield, was named Tournament MVP. Gang and Dulin, who scored a game-high 20 in the final, were named to the All-Tournament Team.
 

Coming Up Next

The Red Foxes earn their fifth NCAA Tournament win in six years against a familiar foe.