MAAC Basketball Championship Spotlights: Marist Red Foxes
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. – With the 2015 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships quickly approaching, the league will begin to spotlight each of its 11 member institutions’ men’s and women’s programs leading up to championship week. Today’s school scheduled to be featured is Marist College.
Marist Men’s Basketball
Preseason Poll Pick vs. Current Standing (as of Feb. 19):
Picked to finish eighth in the 2014-15 Coaches’ Preseason Poll, Marist is currently tied for ninth in the league standings with a 4-12 mark. The Red Foxes were plagued by injuries for much of the early season, but since getting closer to full-strength, the squad has claimed victories in four of its last seven meetings. Marist put together a four-game win streak from Jan. 25 through Feb. 6, highlighted by a sweep of the Western New York series. Mike Maker’s team has been narrowly edged in its last two games, losing by just two points against Siena (Feb. 12) and four points at Monmouth (Feb. 16).
Player to Watch: Chavaughn Lewis
Averaging 20.2 points per game, senior swingman Chavaughn Lewis is the Red Foxes’ leading scorer on the year. That mark is good for second in the MAAC, and 10th in the NCAA. Lewis is on the verge of solidifying himself as one of the most prolific scorers in MAAC history, as he is just 12 points away from becoming the 12th player to eclipse 2,000 career points. On Feb. 1 at Canisius, the senior exploded for a career-high 35 points on 14-for-16 shooting to lead the Red Foxes to the 75-67 win.
Top Play of 2014-15 (as of Feb. 19): Watch Here
Breakthrough Performance(s) (as of Feb. 19):
Marist completed a sweep of the Western New York series for the first time in 18 years, taking down Niagara and Canisius on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, respectively. Prior to this season, the Red Foxes had six splits and were swept 11 times in the series. Additionally, the win at Niagara marked the first victory for Marist in Western New York since the 2007 campaign.
Marist Women’s Basketball
Preseason Poll Pick vs. Current Standing (as of Feb. 19):
The Red Foxes, who are coming off their ninth-consecutive MAAC championship, were selected as the co-preseason favorites with Quinnipiac in the preseason coaches’ poll. Currently, Marist is second in the league standings with a 12-4 league mark, and a 16-9 overall record. Brian Giorgis’ squad opened league play at an impressive 10-2, suffering just two losses to first-place Quinnipiac and Fairfield, who is tied for third with Iona. Marist looks to bounce back against Iona on Feb. 20 after falling in back-to-back contests for the first time all season.
Player to Watch: Tori Jarosz
An All-MAAC Second Team selection, Tori Jarosz has had a standout year for the Red Foxes, as she leads the squad in points (17.9 per game) and rebounds (8.7 per game), both of which rank second in the MAAC. Last season, Jarosz was limited to 23 games, missing the first 11 due to injury. This season, the redshirt senior notched an impressive game against first-place Quinnipiac on Feb. 12, putting up a career-high 25 points, while swatting five shots. On the year, Jarosz is averaging a league-best 2.84 blocks per game, which ranks 19th in the NCAA.
Top Play of 2014-15 (as of Feb. 19): Watch Here
Breakthrough Performance(s) (as of Feb. 19):
On a team led by upperclassmen, freshman Payton Birchmeier has made an early impact on the team, contributing on both the offensive and defensive ends. The first-year Red Fox led the defending MAAC Champions in rebounding three times this season, and also received MAAC Rookie of the Week honors for the week of Dec. 15. Birchmeier averaged 9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists over two games, highlighted by a career-high 14-point effort against Boston University on Dec. 13 to earn the accolade.
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The next spotlight, set to be released on Friday, Feb. 20, will feature the Monmouth Hawks men’s and women’s programs.
The 2015 season culminates at the 2015 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, March 5-9. Tickets for the championships are available online at ticketmaster.com.
For the full men’s basketball schedule, visits maacsports.com and remember to follow the conversation on twitter using #MAACHoops and #MAACHoops15.