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Five Questions with Brandy Gang of #21 Marist

The 79-38 victory was in the books. Marist defeated St. Peter's at Yanitelli Center to run their nation's longest win streak to 21 games.

On a night when 11 Marist players logged double figures in minutes, Brandy Gang, a 6-2 junior forward, posted modest numbers. Seven points and a rebound in 17 minutes. Overall,  Gang is third on the team in scoring (8.7 PPG) and rebounding 4.4 (RPG). She is versatile enough to step outside and bury the trey. Currently she is shooting 37% beyond the arc. But the stat sheet, often does not do justice to the value of her presence on the floor.

SA : What do you perceive your role to be this season ?

BG : "A lot of different things. Coach (Brian Giorgis) wants me to shoot the threes but also to post up and work inside. And defend."

SA : You hometown is Hartville, Ohio. How did you hear of and wind up at Marist in Poughkeepsie, NY ?

BG : "I played in the same AAU program (SMAC) as Rachele Fitz (the Marist great whose number was retired this past Friday). I didn't play on the same team with Rachele but my coach knew her. When it came time to look at a college my AAU coach suggested I take a visit to Marist. I decided to visit, fell in love with Marist and committed."

SA : The MAAC is a competitive conference. Marist however, is undefeated (16-0) and only two teams came within 10 points of your club. How hard is it to get motivated playing a team a second time whom you beat handily the first ?

BG : "We really have a goal of going undefeated in the MAAC. That is something we want very badly. As a result we will not take anyone lightly. Day to day we come out and practice hard and prepare for our next opponent."

SA: This was a Monday night game on the road. Describe your preparation today on game day.

BG : "This morning we had a team walk through where we went over the St. Peter's scouting report. We had a brief shootaround then about four hours before (7 PM) game time we had the pre-game meal. We then took the bus to St. Peter's and listened to music or watched movies on the way."

* Should be noted Poughkeepsie to Jersey City is approximately 80 miles. Marist buses a trip of that distance on game day because coach Giorgis does not want his team to miss class if at all possible.

SA : How important is defense in your program ?

BG : "Very important (Brandy's eyes give almost a look of apprehension). Coach stresses defense every day and he will yell if we make mistakes or do not give a good effort. We played a little zone tonight the second half but the man to man is our main defense. The one we execute best."