A Look Back at the 2010-11 MAAC Women's Basketball Season
MAAC Sports
Edison, NJ - The 2010-11 MAAC Women's Basketball season was a memorable one which included wins in three separate postseason tournaments and a number of program firsts.
Marist makes it six in a row
Marist entered the year as the preseason favorite, although most people weren't sure what to expect following the graduation of three-time MAAC Player of the Year Rachele Fitz. It's safe to say the Red Foxes exceeded the expectations set for them. Marist finished the year with an overall record of 31-3 and a final ranking of 21st in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, the highest end of season ranking in program history. The Red Foxes, a #10 seed, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 74-64 victory over Iowa State in the first round. Their season came to an end with a narrow second round loss to second-seeded Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Marist played the entire second half without MAAC Player of the Year Erica Allenspach, who sprained her left ankle late in the first half, but held a lead until the 2:27 mark in the second half. The loss snapped the Red Foxes 27-game winning streak, the longest in the nation this season and the longest in program history.
A large part of Marist's winning streak was a perfect 18-0 regular season conference record, the Red Foxes second perfect season in three years. No other MAAC school has gone undefeated in an 18-game season. Marist then racked up three more wins over conference opponents to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Red Foxes victory over Loyola in the title game gave them their sixth straight MAAC Championship. The game was broadcast live on ESPNU, just the second time the women's championship game has been televised nationally.
The highlight of Marist's non-conference schedule was a trip to Las Vegas in mid-December for the Duel in the Desert Tournament. The Red Foxes picked up wins over Louisville, then-#21 Nebraska, and Houston to claim the title. Allenspach was named the tournament MVP after pouring in a career-high 34 points against the Cougars.
Loyola secures first postseason appearance since 1995
Loyola won back-to-back MAAC Championships in 1994 and 1995, but the Greyhounds had not returned to the postseason since. That would change in 2011 as Loyola posted an overall record of 21-13 (15-3 in the MAAC) and received its first-ever bid to the WNIT.
It certainly wasn't boring being a Greyhounds' fan in March. Loyola, the number two seed in the MAAC Tournament, started the month by surviving a quarterfinal contest with seventh-seeded Canisius after a regulation buzzer-beater by Miriam McKenzie sent the game to overtime. The following day McKenzie hit a go-ahead jumper with 38 seconds remaining to put Loyola up one against Manhattan. After two free throws built the lead to three, the Greyhounds watched as Manhattan's game-tying attempt bounced off the front of the rim. Loyola would come up short against Marist in the championship game, but the drama did not end there. The Greyhounds were matched up with Old Dominion in the first round of the WNIT and a three-pointer by sophomore Katie Sheahin with three seconds remaining gave Loyola a 67-65 victory and its first postseason win in program history. The season would come to an end three days later with a loss to Virginia in the second round, but program history had been made. In addition to the first postseason victory, the 21 total wins tied the school record set in 1998-99 and the 15 MAAC victories were the most ever.
Manhattan sets new program mark for wins, advances to WBI Semifinals
John Olenowski took over as head coach of the Manhattan women's basketball program following a 10-20 (7-11 MAAC) year in 2008-09. After improving to 10-8 in the league and 15-15 overall last season, Olenowski took the program to new heights in 2010-11. The Jaspers won 24 games (eclipsing the old standard of 20 set in 1986-87 and 2002-03), appeared in the postseason for the first time since 2003, and won multiple postseason games for the first time in program history.
Manhattan earned the #3 seed in the MAAC Championship with a 13-5 regular season mark and the Jaspers advanced to the semifinals after a quarterfinal victory over rival Iona. Following the narrow loss to Loyola, Manhattan would have to wait to learn its postseason fate. The Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) came calling and handed the Jaspers a first round match-up with Sacred Heart at Draddy Gymnasium. Manhattan never trailed as it pulled out a 52-48 victory for its first postseason victory since the 1983 ECAC Tournament and first-ever national postseason tournament win. Next up was a trip to Dayton, Ohio to meet Wright State, the #1 seed in the East Region. The Jaspers won a dramatic contest, 75-73, to set up a semifinal meeting with UAB at Draddy Gymnasium. Manhattan's postseason run came to an end against the Blazers, who would claim the WBI Championship with a win over Cal-State Bakersfield in the final.