Women's basketball: Marist schedule to feature visits from past Red Foxes coaches, players

POUGHKEEPSIE – Marist women’s basketball coach Brian Giorgis has always held a warm place in his heart for alumni of his program and that includes former coaches as well.

That led to an idea for a unique basketball event to be hosted at Marist in November. Following the Nov. 9 season opener at Colonial Athletic Association champion Drexel, the Red Foxes will entertain American University of the Patriot League on Nov. 12 and Vermont of the America East Conference on Nov. 14. Vermont and American will meet on Nov. 13

Former associate head coach Megan Gebbia is headed into her ninth season as head coach at American, amassing 137 wins. Gebbia worked 10 seasons (2003-13) under Giorgis as the Red Foxes emerged as the preeminent team in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and a Top 25 poll contender.

Former Marist players Nikki Flores and Emily Stallings have coached with Gebbia every season at American. Stallings, a 2012 graduate and originally from Newburgh, played in four NCAA tourneys with Marist. Flores, a 2008 graduate, played in three NCAAs.

Alisa Kresge has coached at Vermont since 2016, taking over as head coach in 2018-19. She played point guard for Marist from 2003-07, ranking No. 1 in career assists (596) and No. 2 in steals (222). She played on the 2007 team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Her coaching staff includes Dominique Bryant and Eileen Van Horn. Bryant was a Marist assistant from 2013-16. Van Horn was a guard and former team captain for the Red Foxes and later director of basketball operations before headed to Vermont in 2018.

Marist will make a Western swing on Nov. 19 and 21, taking on Arizona and Arizona State, respectively. Arizona finished second in the Pac 12 and bowed in the tourney semifinals. It will be a homecoming for seniors Sarah Barcello and Kendall Krick, both of whom hail from Chandler, Arizona, and played for Seton Catholic Prep, coached by former F.D. Roosevelt standout Karen (O’Connor) Self.

In all, Marist will play four teams that competed in the 2021 NCAA Div. I tournament: Stony Brook of America East (Dec. 7 on the road); Central Michigan of the Mid-American Conference (Nov. 28 at home); Arizona and, Drexel.

Marist won its 11th Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title in March and, as a No. 15 seed, bowed to Louisville in the NCAA tournament. The Red Foxes were 15-3 in MAAC play and 18-4 overall.

Following nine non-conference games to start, Marist will open MAAC play with three games in December, at Fairfield and home games with Iona and Canisius.

The MAAC tournament will be hosted again in Atlantic City, New Jersey, from March 8-12.

Marist returns all but graduates Willow Duffell, the Monroe-Woodbury graduate, and Allie Best. The leading returning scorers are Barcello (12.6 points per game) and Trinasia Kennedy (9.7). Caitlin Weimar transferred to Boston University.

The team's freshman recruits are Siobhan Boylan of Morton, Pennsylvania; Catie Cunningham of Syracuse; and, McKenna Rife of Hagerstown, Maryland. Sophomore Kiara Fisher of Elmira transferred from Syracuse.

kmcmillan@th-record.com

Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

Schedule

(2020-21: Marist 18-4, 13-3 MAAC)

November

Tues. 9 – at Drexel (Colonial, 14-9), TBD; Fri. 12 – vs. American (Patriot, 7-4), 7 p.m.; Sun. 14 – vs. Vermont (America East, 4-2), 2 p.m.; Fri. 19 – at Arizona (Pac 12, 21-6), TBD; Sun. 21 – at Arizona State, TBD (Pac 12, 12-12); Sun. 28 – vs. Central Michigan (Mid-American, 18-9), 2 p.m.

December

Wed. 1 – at Lafayette (Patriot, 5-8), TBD; Sun. 5 – vs. Columbia (Ivy, did not play), 2 p.m.; Tues. 7 – at Stony Brook (America East, 15-6), TBD; Sat. 18 – at Fairfield* (11-5, 9-3), TBD; Mon. 20 – vs. Iona* (6-9, 5-6), 7 p.m.; Thur. 30 – vs. Canisius* (0-5, 0-4), 7 p.m.

January

Sat. 1 – at Rider* (8-18, 5-13), TBD; Sat. 8 – at Manhattan* (11-9, 9-3), TBD; Thur. 13 – vs. Siena* (4-9, 3-8), 7 p.m.; Sat. 15 – vs. Monmouth*, (2-16, 2-11) 7 p.m.; Thur. 20 – at Iona*, TBD; Sat. 22 – vs. Niagara* (4-7, 4-6), 7 p.m.; Thur. 27 – vs. Fairfield*, 7 p.m.; Sat. 29 – at Saint Peter’s* (13-15, 10-9), TBD

February

Thur. 3 – at Quinnipiac* (13-8, 11-5), TBD; Sat. 5 – vs. Rider*, 7 p.m.; Thur. 10 – at Niagara*, TBD; Sat. 12 – at Canisius*, TBD; Thur. 17 – vs. Saint Peter’s*, 7 p.m.; Sat. 19 – at Siena*, TBD; Thur. 24 – vs. Quinnipiac*, 7 p.m.

March

Wed. 2 – at Monmouth*, Sat. 5 – vs. Manhattan*, 7 p.m.; Tues. 8-Sat. 12 – MAAC tournament, at Atlantic City, N.J.

Home games at McCann Arena, Poughkeepsie; asterisk denotes Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games; overall and MAAC records in parenthesis