As had become customary, Marist put together a challenging non-conference schedule. The Red Foxes fell in their season opener to 14th-ranked St. John’s in a tournament at Kansas State but rebounded to defeat Grambling the next day. The following weekend brought another tournament where Marist recorded convincing victories over host Vermont and Dartmouth. The good news kept coming in waves. The Red Foxes won at Villanova by 11 on the Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend. Giorgis received a contract extension through 2017 just four days later. Although Marist fell to St. Bonaventure 45-40 on Dec. 4, that proved to be just a bump in the road as the Red Foxes responded with their longest winning streak in program history, a 27-game march that lasted three-and-a-half months. Win number one of the streak came in a 57-40 triumph at Hartford as Allenspach scored her 1,000th point. Giorgis’ 200th victory at Marist in the Red Foxes’ next contest, a 16-point home win over Boston University. The following weekend brought a trip to Las Vegas for the Duel in the Desert, where the Red Foxes showed the country what kind of team they had in a three-day span. The Red Foxes led wire-to-wire against Louisville in a 74-68 win which featured 25 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals from Yarde. The next night, Marist earned its first regular-season win against a ranked foe when the Red Foxes toppled #21 Nebraska, 65-60. Marist overcame a seven-point first half deficit as Allenspach led the way with 20 points. The Red Foxes then won the tournament championship with a 78-70 triumph over Houston behind Allenspach’s career-high 34 points. At this point, the only thing that could slow down the Red Foxes was the weather. Marist was slated to make another trip west to face Arizona State shortly after Christmas, but a blizzard belted the Northeast on Dec. 26, and left the Red Foxes unable to get a flight. Marist opened MAAC play on Jan. 2 and achieved its second 18-0 conference record in the last four years. Just one of the 18 games, a 54-52 comeback win at Fairfield on Feb. 6, was decided by fewer than 10 points. The Red Foxes had eight conference wins by at least 20 points and held five straight opponents under 50 points in January. The Red Foxes entered the top 25 of both major national polls in early February and were ranked in the top 20 of both by early March. Allenspach was named MAAC Player of the Year. Yarde was a First Team All-MAAC selection. In her first season as a starter, Gang was a Third Team All-MAAC choice. Giorgis was named MAAC Coach of the Year for the fifth time. The ensuing MAAC Championship run was truly the crowning achievement of Allenspach’s spectacular career. As a team, the Red Foxes were not at their best MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP RUN
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MARIST ATHLETICS
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