Givens and Amber Holt combined to average nearly 40 points per game. Over the course of his tenure, Giorgis has occasionally quipped that when he arrived at Marist, the only thing the Red Foxes led the nation in was turnovers. By his fifth season, Giorgis’ starting five included three natural point guards in Alisa Kresge, Nikki Flores, and Julianne Viani. The Red Foxes’ fortunes had shifted 180 degrees. Marist was now leading the nation in turnovers – as in, committing the fewest of any team per game. The game plan was set, and after a practice which included the Red Foxes going against seven defenders to simulate the Blue Raiders’ pressure, it was time for the irresistible force to truly meet the immovable object. The Red Foxes didn’t budge. Marist jumped out to an eight-point lead near the midway point of the first half. MTSU countered with a 9-0 run to briefly take the lead, but the Red Foxes shut out the Blue Raiders over the final four minutes of the first half and took a 40-29 lead to the locker room. MTSU backed off its vaunted press and made several runs in the second half, but the Red Foxes had answers at every turn. The Blue Raiders’ final push saw them cut their deficit to five with just under eight minutes to play. Fear not, Red Fox faithful. Lynzee Johnson was determined to make her homecoming game a reality. Ever confident and charismatic, the Bellbrook, Ohio native had established herself as a valuable contributor off the bench as a freshman. On this night, she entered the game for the first time with 8:50 left in the second half, with a Sweet Sixteen game 17 miles
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Thank You, Coach Giorgis
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