58 MARIST BASKETBALL 2014-15 FRIENDS OF JACLYN FOUNDATION FRIENDS OF JACLYN FOUNDATION MARIST BASKETBALL 2014-15 59 Live in the Moment, Play in the Moment THE ADOPTION On April 25, 2010, Nina Triplo became the newest member of the Marist women’s basketball team. The Red Foxes welcomed Nina to the family at Marist’s Historic Cornell Boathouse with an adop- tion ceremony. Members of the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation were on hand including the founder Denis Murphy. During the ceremony, the team decorated T-shirts among other activities. Brittany Engle gave her number 11 practice jersey to Nina, and she put it on ABOUT THE immediately. FRIENDS OF JACLYN Since the adoption, Nina has been present at FOUNDATION other team activities as well. She joined the Marist women’s basketball team at the 2010 Red Fox Club The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation was inspired by Barbeque at the beginning of the fall semester. Jaclyn Murphy, (Marist class of 2016), who was diag- nosed with a medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in March 2004 when she was nine years old. Jaclyn’s strength and courage, relentless spirit, and joy for life are an inspiration to those who know her. Jaclyn’s wish is “for all the children in the hospitals Nina (center) poses with Friends of Jaclyn founder to be healed.” Denis Murphy and Brittany Engle of the Marist wom- It is their goal for Jaclyn to be able to continue to en’s basketball team at the adoption ceremony. touch people with her smile, her kind heart, her hope and faith that someday there will be a cure! In the meantime, it is their hope that through Jaclyn’s ABOUT NINA example, they can help to improve the lives of other children and families dealing with pediatric cancer. Nina was born on Aug. 5, 1998 and resides in Stone Ridge, N.Y. with her parents Gina and Over 190 kids have been adopted in 19 different Joseph. In 2007, Nina was diagnosed with sports since the foundation was started. Currently pilocytic astrocytoma, a form of benign brain there are 1,200 teams on the waiting list to adopt a tumor. She enjoys singing, acting and dancing. child which span across NCAA Divisions’ I, II, and III, She now attends Rondout Valley High School as in addition to high school and professional teams. a freshman. The Foundation has been featured on HBO’s Real To sign Nina’s guestbook, visit Sports with Bryant Gumbel, CNN Video, National http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/NinaTriplo. Public Radio, in the New York Times and ESPN.com. For more information on the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, visit http://friendsofjaclyn.org/. 60 MARIST BASKETBALL 2014-15 MARIST BASKETBALL 2014-15 6161 HISTORY Jan. 25, 2008 The Marist women’s basketball program recorded its first Pack the House sellout in program history on its inaugural “Pack the House” night. The Marist Athletics Department was named the Metro “Pack the House” began as Atlantic Athletic Conference winner for the “Pack the House” an NCAA initiative in which Challenge, as it was one of only six schools in the nation to record a sellout. conferences and institutions compete to build attendance. Feb. 6, 2009 Although the NCAA no longer Marist recorded its second sellout in program history, sponsors “Pack the House,” as the Red Foxes became the only program in the nation to the Marist Athletics Department “Pack the House” for the second straight season. continues to carry on the tradition. This season’s Feb. 5, 2010 “Pack the House” game will The Red Foxes recorded their third sellout in program history, be held on Saturday, Feb. 14 this time a pre-sale sellout – all tickets were sold prior to the doors opening. The Marist Athletics Department was crowned vs. Niagara. one of 31 conference champions, as it won the MAAC for the second time in three years. Feb. 4, 2011 Marist hosted a sell-out crowd of 3,200 fans at its game on Feb. 4 vs. Niagara. Marist became the only school in the coun- try to sell out its “Pack the House” game four years in a row. In addition to being named the overall winner for the first time, Marist was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference winner for the third time in four years. The NCAA then announced that Marist was the overall winner in the 2010-11 NCAA Division I “Pack the House” Challenge. Marist beat out 177 participating institutions which included sellout crowds by Army, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Michigan State, Navy, Oregon and Pacific. Feb. 10, 2012 The Red Foxes again hosted a successful “Pack the House” as 2,692 fans watched Marist triumph in a first-place showdown with Fairfield, 60-54, in a "Pack the Prom” theme. Feb. 22, 2013 Using the theme of “White Out,” 2,671 fans saw the Red Foxes record a 69-44 triumph over Rider. Feb. 8, 2014 A sellout crowd - the second of the season, a program record - saw the Red Foxes host Fairfield with a Hawaiian theme. 62 MARIST BASKETBALL 2014-15 MARIST BASKETBALL 2014-15 63 Marist & Breast Cancer Awareness Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation public/media relations among other things. She Previous Breast Cancer Awareness/ For a seventh straight year, the Marist Athletics Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation is the pri- coordinates four major fund raising events for the WBCA Play 4Kay Games at Marist Department partnered with the Women’s Basketball mary beneficiary of Marist’s “Play 4Kay” contest. A foundation each year, including the Hoops for Hope Date Opponent Attendance Coaches Association (WBCA) to host a “Play 4Kay” foundation based in the Hudson River Valley, Miles Women’s Basketball Tournament, which is held at Feb. 7, 2003 Fairfield 828 game, formerly known as “Pink Zone,” when the of Hope helps people in the Hudson Valley who are the James J. McCann Center in March. Jan. 17, 2004 Iona 1,011 PRed Foxes defeated Quinnipiac by a scoreL of 100-81 affected by breast cancer.A The foundation serves For more Yinformation on Miles of Hope Breast 4Feb. 15, 2008 Niagara KA2,284 Y on Feb. 14, 2014. The Red Foxes have been actively eight counties: Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Cancer Foundation, visit: Jan. 30, 2009 Manhattan 2,606 involved in raising funds for breast cancer since 2003, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester. http://www.milesofhopebcf.org/. Feb. 12, 2010 Rider 2,295 and have raised thousands of dollars and reached over The foundation was started by Dana Effron and Feb. 14, 2011 Canisius 1,806 17,000 fans at the McCann Center for these games. Cathy Varunok who were both personally affected Feb. 12, 2012 Siena 2,175 The 2012 game was particularly special for Marist by breast cancer in their lives. The pair began their WBCA Feb. 17, 2013 Manhattan 2,051 assistant coaches Erin Leger and Alisa Kresge as their involvement with breast cancer fund raising at a The WBCA began the WBCA Play 4Kay®, formerly Feb. 14, 2014 Quinnipiac 2,058 mothers, Margaret Leger and Diane Somers, who are national level, but decided to give back in their own known as “Pink Zone” and “Think Pink”, in 2007 as an both breast cancer survivors, served as the Red Foxes community, the Hudson River Valley. initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women’s guest coaches for the game. Pari Forood serves as the Executive Director of the basketball, on campuses and in communities. foundation and is responsible for all administrative The late Kay Yow, former North Carolina State aspects of the foundation including fund raising, University head women’s basketball coach, served as the catalyst for the initiative after her third reoccur- rence of breast cancer in 2006. Assistant coaches Erin Leger (far left) and Alisa Kresge (far right) had their mothers in attendance for Marist’s “Play 4Kay” game on Feb. 12, 2012. Margaret Leger (second from left) and Diane Somers (second from right) The mission of the initiative is a nation of coaches are both breast cancer survivors. raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund will continue to be the official charity of the initiative. Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women’s basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to devel- op a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. During the 2014-15 season, Marist’s WBCA Play 4Kay® game will be played on Thursday, Feb. 12 vs. Quinnipiac, in a contest which will be televised on ESPN3. For more information on the WBCA, visit wbca.org. 64 MARIST BASKETBALL 2014-15 MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS MARIST IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT MARIST BASKETBALL 2014-15 65 2004 NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND Oklahoma 58, Marist 45 Tempe, Ariz. (Wells Fargo Arena); March 20, 2004 MARIST FG 3FG FT PTS R A TO B S MIN F – Del Preore 6-14 0-1 0-1 12 6 0 1 0 1 32 F – Vilardi 1-5 1-4 0-0 3 3 1 1 0 1 25 2004 C – Magarity 2-12 1-2 1-1 6 2 2 3 0 1 26 20-11 – Seven win improvement from previous season G – Kresge 0-4 0-1 0-0 0 5 3 2 0 4 28 G – Vecchio 1-4 1-3 0-0 3 2 2 1 0 2 21 13-5 in MAAC – Tied for MAAC regular season title with Siena Minter 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 1 0 0 6 Wancel 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 Sullivan 1-6 1-4 7-10 10 2 0 1 0 1 20 Defeated Canisius 76-74 to win first MAAC tournament championship Vetter 2-8 1-5 2-2 7 4 0 1 0 2 23 Keller 2-8 0-1 0-0 4 5 2 2 0 0 16 Took on Oklahoma in first NCAA tournament appearance Team 2 Totals 15-63 5-21 10-14 45 32 11 13 0 12 200 Stephanie Del Preore and Maureen Magarity receive OKLAHOMA FG 3FG FT PTS R A TO B S MIN Second Team All-MAAC accolades F – Hill 2-7 0-3 2-2 6 5 0 4 0 1 27 F – Higgins 1-2 1-2 0-0 3 6 0 1 0 1 37 Brian Giorgis named MAAC Coach of the Year C – Rush 7-11 0-1 9-9 23 4 2 6 1 0 33 G – Villarroel 2-9 0-3 8-8 12 11 4 0 1 4 34 Kristin Keller named MAAC Sixth Player of the Year G – Jackson 5-8 0-1 4-5 14 7 5 5 0 2 34 Andrews 0-2 0-2 0-0 0 1 0 1 0 0 8 Preston 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 1 0 0 6 Wadsworth 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 1 0 0 8 Sanchez 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Brown 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 Team 3 2 Totals 17-41 1-13 23-24 58 42 11 21 2 8 200 Marist (20-11) 23-22-45 Oklahoma (24-8) 28-30-58 MARIST BASKETBALL 2014-15 All-Time Roster MARIST 2014-15 66 MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS MARIST IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT BASKETBALL 67 2006 NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND Georgia 75, Marist 60 Trenton, N.J.