Fitz Shines In Marist Women's Basketball Scrimmage

Freshman Scores 26 In White Team's Victory

(Poughkeepsie) - Freshman forward Rachele Fitz ( Seven Hills , Ohio ) finished with game-highs of 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the White team to a 69-58 victory over the Red squad in the annual Marist women's basketball Red/White scrimmage on Sunday at the McCann Center .

Fitz shot 9-for-16 from the field and 7-for-9 from the line. She hit her only three-point attempt and added two assists and three steals. Helping the cause for the White team was red-shirt sophomore guard Julianne Viani ( Poughkeepsie , N.Y. ), who finished with 15 points along with six assists and three steals. Junior guard Alexis Waters ( Lansing , Mich. ) added 14 points, four rebounds and a game-high three blocked shots for the White team.

For the Red team, junior forward Sarah Smrdel ( Mentor , Ohio ) scored a team-high 13 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Smrdel also contributed six rebounds and two blocks. Freshman forward Lynzee Johnson ( Xenia , Ohio ) had a solid all-around effort with 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Freshman guard Brittany Engle ( South Easton , Mass. ) totaled 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, while junior guard Nikki Flores ( Montvale , N.J. ) also scored 10.

The teams combined to drain 17 three-pointers. Viani and junior guard Courtney Kolesar ( Concord , Ohio ) of the Red team tied for the game high by hitting three apiece. In all, 10 different players hit at least one three.

The Marist women's basketball team will open the regular season on Nov. 10 against Stony Brook of the America East Conference at the McCann Center .

Smith, Whittington Tally 21 In Red/White Scrimmage

McNamara posts big game

(Poughkeepsie) -Seniors Will Whittington (Kingwood, Tx.) and James Smith (Nyack, N.Y.) had 21 points apiece to take top scoring honors as the White squad defeated the Red team 69-49 in the annual Red/White men's basketball preseason scrimmage. The contest consisted of four eight- minute quarters.

Accompanying Whittington's 21 points on the White squad was a 19 point, seven rebound performance by junior forward Shae McNamara (Milwaukee, Wisc.). Senior guard Jared Jordan (Hartford, Conn.), the national leader in assists last season, also posted 15 points and nine assists in the contest. Defensively, sophomore Gerald Carter (Harlem, N.Y.) nabbed three steals.

Whittington finished 5-for-7 from 3-point range, while his squad connected on 45.8 percent (11- for-24) as a whole from beyond the arc.

Smith was the only member of the Red team in double digits and also had a game-high 11 boards. Most of the 7-0 center's damage also came from the 3-point line, courtesy of a 4-for-7 clip.

The White team went 24-for-52 from 3-point range (46.2 percent), while the Red squad posted a 45.2 percent (19-for-42) mark. The White group also forced 20 turnovers by the Red team and had more steals (10 to 3).

The Red Foxes will kick off the 2006-07 season at Ohio on Nov. 11.