Po-Town Showdowns

Julianne Viani passes the ball against Tania Kennedy of Saint Peter

Poughkeepsie (Po-Town), NY -

Talk about your victorious double headers: a Marist/Minnesota dynamic duo.

One of the true delights I have in bringing back my daughter to Marist College in Poughkeepsie for another semester is the chance to watch one of the best mid major women's basketball teams in the country, the Marist Red Foxes. Currently ranked 21st in the nation by the AP, this team is a well coached example of how a relatively small school (approx 5,000 students) goes about creating a success program that at times can compete with the majority of bigger, more well known programs. Their burly coach--Brian Giorgis--is a stern tactician that has brought this team to the NCAA tournament the last three years, reaching the Sweet 16 two years ago, and the second round last year.

This team plays the right way--tough defense, passing, exploiting matchups and giving your core players a chance to win the game. Friday night the Foxes pummeled Saint Peter 78-58. Rachele Fitz, currently 10th in the nation in scoring with 21.6 points a game, scored 22 points last night. Redshirt senior guard Julianne Viani added 18 points in a victory that at times had the Red Foxes up by nearly 30. Marist withstood Saint Peter's consistent full court pressure and excuted superbly; though without either Viani or Fitz in the game, the Red Foxes had problems getting into their offense.

Since their conference--the MAAC--only brings one team into the tourney via their tournament, it would be an upset of major proportions that any other team would make it to the women's Big Dance. Keeping Fitz and Viani healthy and on the court is going to be a key, especially if they are fortunate enough to land back into the tournament.

Of course, the other big story was the Wolves 105-103 victory over Phoenix. In a game where the club didn't die when the Suns went on a run to go up by 11 in the third, Minnesota took advantage of Randy Foye's five fourth quarter points, good offensive rebounding, and somewhat clueless play calling by the Suns to secure the victory.

Five players figured prominently in the win--Big Al, Craig Smith, Randy Foye, Kevin Love and Rodney Carney. Jefferson did his usual with 22 points and 12 rebounds, but I thought the real catalyst in the game was Carney, giving the club energy and athleticism off the bench with 17 points. Love's 14 rebounds were also huge, but the reality is that he, Jefferson and Smith are problematic as a playoff ready front court.

Why the Suns--who in the third quarter were having clear success with dumping the ball into either O'Neal or Stoudamire--started their usual jump shooting, getting away from what worked to build the 11 point lead is a head scratcher. Kevin McHale attempted to get Stoudamire in foul trouble by running continual plays for Smith in the third, but Steve Nash was not his normal clutch self in trying to score over the top against Minnesota, shooting only eight times, scoring just six points. Watching the game on NBA League Pass Broadband, Suns broadcasters Gary Bender and Eddie Johnson tried to offer the 4 am arrival time of the Suns back in AZ as a result of their last game against Denver as an excuse, but clearly the Suns let the Wolves off the hook, and to their credit, the Wolves hung around and showed more energy in the fourth quarter, racking up 32 points.

That Minnesota finished off a winning team in a game that was clearly theirs to have is another indication of progress. The Wolves have a long way to go, but this team has rejoined the ranks of watchable teams, and has renewed hope at least in the short term that they are head to somewhere other than oblivion.

All around, it was a fantastic night for basketball.