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 on Saturday 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 | Week 14: '12 MAAC Championship | Week 15: '12 NCAA Tournament Win Over Georgia


POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The story of the 2012-13 Marist women's basketball team can be summed up in one sentence, albeit a run-on one.
 
This group of Red Foxes went undefeated in MAAC regular-season play for the third time in six years but did not have any First Team All-MAAC selections, although the Red Foxes had four All-MAAC selections, a MAAC All-Rookie Team honoree, and three major award winners.
 
The volume of success was once again remarkable, but it came with a different formula. The Red Foxes had the MAAC Player of the Year each of the previous five seasons (Rachele Fitz, 2008, 2009, 2010; Erica Allenspach, 2011; Corielle Yarde, 2012), and this marked the third straight year a player of the year had graduated the previous year. This was a balanced team as five Red Foxes averaged between 8.7 and 12.0 points per game, and five averaged between 3.9 and 4.7 rebounds per game.
 
What did not change was the depth within the program, the leadership of the upperclassmen, and the progression a number of key players made in their careers. Kelsey Beynnon did not see much playing time as a freshman, was a key reserve as a sophomore, and became a starter who played well in big games a junior. As senior – going by Elizabeth, or Elle for short – she was the Red Foxes leading scorer at 12.0 points per game and shot an efficient .489 from the field and .779 from the line.
 
The junior class of Casey Dulin, Leanne Ockenden, and Emma O'Connor continued its upward trajectory as well. Dulin and Ockenden became fixtures in the starting lineup as sophomores, and O'Connor joined them as a junior. Dulin averaged 10.2 points per game and led the Red Foxes in assists. Ockenden scored 8.7 a game, was the team leader in steals, and established herself as a premier defender. O'Connor averaged 9.0 points per game and shot .476 from the field.
 
In her second season on the floor after transferring from UMass, Kristina Danella once again provided instant offense off the bench. She averaged 9.1 points per game and shot .887 from the line while leading the Red Foxes in free throws made (102) and attempted (115). Freshman Sydney Coffey averaged 7.3 points per game, and examples of her vast potential became even more prevalent in the years to come.
 
The Red Foxes were forced to contend with a season-ending injury to a significant contributor for a second straight year. Six-foot-three Tori Jarosz had sat out the previous season after transferring from Vanderbilt. In her first game as a Red Fox, Jarosz came off the bench to score 14 points and block three shots in 18 minutes as Marist topped Vermont. Unfortunately, due to a wrist injury, Jarosz did not play again in the 2012-13 season.
 
The Red Foxes' non-conference schedule was once again loaded with high-profile opponents. Marist stood at 5-6 on New Year's Day, but four of the losses were to top-15 teams: UConn, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Purdue. Marist added another notch to its belt of power-conference victories with a triumph over Wake Forest at the Paradise Jam.
 
The team gathered steam as conference play unfolded. Marist won its last 16 MAAC regular-season games by double figures. The Red Foxes closed out conference play with four straight victories by at least 24 points, and won at third-place Fairfield by 37 in the regular-season finale.
 
This momentum carried through to the MAAC Championship, where the Red Foxes defeated Manhattan in the quarterfinals by 22, Niagara in the semifinals by 25, and Iona in the championship game by 24 as they claimed their eighth straight conference title.
 
Beynnon and Dulin were named Second Team All-MAAC. Ockenden and O'Connor were Third Team All-MAAC selections, and Ockenden was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. Danella was named MAAC Sixth Player of the Year, and Brian Giorgis won MAAC Coach of the Year for the third straight year and seventh time in his career. Beynnon was named the Most Valuable Player of the MAAC Championship, with Dulin and Ockenden earning All-Tournament Team honors.
 

NCAA Tournament

Once again, Marist was headed south for NCAA Tournament play. However, for the first time since 2006, the Red Foxes traveled by bus instead of plane.
 
The destination was College Park, Maryland, home of the University of Maryland. The Red Foxes were a #12 seed and matched up with #5 Michigan State in the first round. The game figured to be a defensive struggle, as both teams entered the contest in the top 20 nationally in points per game allowed.
 
Indeed, points were at a premium as the game unfolded. Marist scored the game's first five and held Michigan State scoreless for the first three minutes. Then the Spartans grabbed the lead as the Red Foxes were held scoreless for over six-and-a-half minutes. Michigan State advanced its lead to double digits with a 13-0 run, and led by nine at halftime as neither team scored in the final three minutes of the first half.
 
Both teams got hot from deep at the start of the second half. After falling down by 12, Marist went on a 14-0 run and took the lead on a three by Dulin with 13:46 remaining. However, the Spartans were able to re-claim the lead for good near the midway point of the second half. The Red Foxes were held to five points over the final eight minutes as Michigan State prevailed, 55-47.
 
Dulin led the Red Foxes with 13 points, followed by Coffey with 12.
 

Fun Facts

• Marist finished the 2012-13 season at 26-7. It marked the seventh straight season the Red Foxes won at least 25 games. Marist's 21-game winning streak from the start of MAAC play through the conference tournament remains the third-longest in program history.
• Beynnon's Tournament MVP award marked the sixth straight year a Marist senior claimed the honor, following Sarah Smrdel in 2008, Julianne Viani in 2009, Rachele Fitz in 2010, Erica Allenspach in 2011, and Corielle Yarde in 2012.
• Danella, who scored her 1,000^th career point against Canisius on Feb. 1, remains the program's all-time leader in free-throw percentage at .895.

 

Coming Up Next

The Red Foxes earn their biggest win in McCann Arena history.