Written by Azarr Johnson

For the first game of the season, the Lady Great Danes came in looking to start strong with something to prove. After losing in the America East Championship game, Albany returned only three starters from last year and entered the season with a largely new roster. Their first test would come against the MAAC’s Marist Red Foxes, who were also hoping to open their season on a high note. The Red Foxes appear even stronger under second-year head coach Erin Doughty, who finished last season with a winning record of 16–15 and has the program trending upward.

Albany opened the game on fire, going on a 7–0 run that forced Marist to call a timeout and regroup. Martina Borrellas led the charge with five of the seven points. When play resumed, Marist finally got on the board at the 4:51 mark with a three-pointer from Daniel Williamson. The Red Foxes began to settle in and trailed by only eight at the end of the first period (17–9), though their turnovers continued to contribute to their early struggles.

When the second period began, Albany looked poised to pull away, building an 11-point lead (22–11). But Marist fought back, tightening up defensively and going on a 7–2 run to cut the lead to five (24–19). Lexie Tarul then hit a three-pointer, forcing the Great Danes to call a timeout to regroup. And regroup they did—Albany responded with a 7–0 run to stretch the lead to 31–19 midway through the period. By halftime, the Great Danes had pushed the lead from five to fifteen (39–24), with Delanie Hill leading the way with ten points.

In the third period, Albany turned it up on both ends. The Lady Danes outscored Marist 20–10, with Hill scoring eight of her twenty points in the quarter to help extend the lead to 59–32. It wasn’t just the offense that built the advantage—Albany’s defense dominated. Tarul, who led Marist with ten first-half points, was held scoreless in the third. The entire Red Foxes offense struggled, shooting just 20% from the field and 0–for–3 from deep.

That defensive stretch proved to be the key to Albany’s victory. Even though Marist scored more in the fourth quarter, the game was already out of reach. The Great Danes closed out a convincing 74–46 win. It wasn’t just a strong opening victory—it was the way they won that stood out, especially for a team featuring so many new players.

As guard Delanie Hill put it: “We’re gonna be the most competitive team. We’re gonna win every 50/50 play, we’re gonna box out hard, and no one is gonna outwork us. Every time we step on that court, we’re gonna compete and be the hardest working team out there.” Spoken like a player with a championship mindset—exactly the identity of a Coach Mullen team.