WHY NOT US? 2003-04: Marist Wins First MAAC TItle The practice shirts were handed out in preseason, but they proved to correctly predict the postseason. The shirts handed out by second-year head coach Brian Giorgis read “2004 MAAC Champions … Why Not US?” Giorgis believed. More importantly, his players believed. The Red Foxes won their first regular-season title in 2004. The crown was shared with Siena, which earned the #1 seed in the MAAC Championship by virtue of its season sweep of Marist. The Red Foxes were seeded second. Their two regular-season games with Siena were competitive, but the Saints had the following in their favor entering the championship: • Pedigree: Siena had appeared in three straight MAAC finals, with a championship in 2001. • Streak: At this time, Siena had a 16-game winning streak against Marist, which dated back to 1996. • Home Court: The championship was held at Pepsi (now MVP) Arena, just five-and- a-half miles from Siena’s campus and the site of the Saints’ regular-season home win over the Red Foxes. On the other hand, Giorgis had a team on a mission. In the Red Foxes’ first five seasons in the MAAC, they went 0-5 in tournament play. The program had an opening-round win in Giorgis’ first season, but had not reached a MAAC semifinal to this point. That changed quickly, as Marist ousted defending champion Manhattan with an efficient 60-49 victory in the quarterfinal round. In the semifinals, sixth-seeded Saint Peter’s loomed. The Peahens, as they were called then, were guided by legendary head coach Mike Granelli, a nine-time MAAC champion. Marist seized control of the lead in the first half and had an answer for every Saint Peter’s run. A 62-54 win put the Red Foxes in the first MAAC championship game in program history. And their opponent wasn’t Siena. Fourth-seeded Canisius defeated the Saints by a score of 81-72 in the other semifinal. The Golden Griffins were a program on the rise under head coach Mike Decillis, and featured MAAC Player of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the Year Jenel Stevens.
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MARIST ATHLETICS
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