START OF A DYNASTY 2005-06: Red Foxes Win ‘06 MAAC Championship Although the Marist women’s basketball team did not repeat as MAAC champion in the 2004-05 season, the groundwork was laid for the beginning of a dynasty. Nikki Flores, Courtney Kolesar, Sarah Smrdel, and Alexis Waters joined the program as freshmen in 2004 and were key components of multiple championship teams. Meg Dahlman (Holy Cross) and Julianne Viani (Rhode Island) arrived as transfers, and while they sat out the 2004-05 season, they had three and four years remaining, respectively. Junior college transfer Fifi Camara proved to be one of the most talented players to wear a Marist uniform in her two years as a Red Fox. Marist began the 2004-05 season 0-3 in MAAC play, with the three losses coming by a total of 10 points. As had occurred the previous year, once the calendar reached the second week in January, the Red Foxes stopped losing – this time almost literally. Led by First Team All-MAAC selections Camara and senior Kristin Keller, Marist won a program-record 16 straight games and earned its first outright MAAC regular-season title. Unfortunately, the streak ended with a 60-59 defeat to Canisius in the MAAC championship game. Becky Zak, who had missed the shot at the buzzer in the ‘04 final, was the ‘05 Tournament MVP. The Golden Griffins had no seniors in 2004-05 and were subsequently picked first in the 2005-06 preseason poll, with Marist tabbed for second. The ‘04 and 05 championship games and two regular-season meetings in 2004-05 between Marist and Canisius were decided by a total of nine points, with each team winning on the other’s home floor and earning one championship apiece. Head coach Brian Giorgis had put together an enhanced non-conference schedule at the start of his fourth season in 2005-06. Marist opened at UConn in the Preseason WNIT. The Red Foxes trailed by just three at halftime, which forced Geno Auriemma to deploy a five-guard look in the second half. Of course, one of his guards was 6-foot-3 Ann Strother. UConn ended up winning by 26. Marist’s next contest was the first collegiate home game for Poughkeepsie native Viani, as the Red Foxes matched up against Villanova, and Julianne’s older sister, Jenna. Villanova won a hard-fought game by four. The Red Foxes fell to 0-4 with losses at New Hampshire and nationally-ranked New Mexico. In the second game of New Mexico’s Thanksgiving Tournament, Dahlman’s three-point play with 1:30 left gave Marist the lead for good in its 52-49 win over Idaho.
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MARIST ATHLETICS
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