Freshman guard Julia Corsentino already showed glimpses for Marist women’s basketball throughout her first season.
As she built up her confidence, gained more experience and grew under head coach Erin Doughty, Corsentino is now trying to take her game to the next level and help lead Marist to greater team success.
In just 18.5 minutes per game, Corsentino averaged 5.2 points, 2.2 rebound and 0.6 assists per game while shooting 30.1% from the field, 29.3% from three and 72.1% from the charity stripe.
With senior point guard Kiara Fisher dealing with a mounting list of injuries, the Red Foxes placed confidence in Corsentino to take on some of the lead guard duties. Throughout the season, Corsentino held her own; her competitive spirit drove her to a solid start to her collegiate career.
Corsentino saw big minutes and built some comfort in early-season matchups; she played 30 minutes against Penn, 29 minutes against Lehigh, and even 42 minutes in an overtime-win over Lafayette, during which she notched 23 points and swiped three steals.
“During the game against Lafayette, I wasn’t thinking too much,” said Corsentino. “It let me do not only what I knew I could do, but it also showed me what I can do down the line.”
Doughty believes that the early-season run of playing time that Corsentino received will benefit her in the long run.
“There was a lot of opportunity for her to get great experience early in the year. She had no fear when she went in against Army, so we thought she was ready to take that starring role,” said Doughty. “Like most freshman years, it was up and down, but I think she gained valuable experience, starting some games, logging a lot of minutes and some games, playing the one, playing the two, guarding other teams’ better scorers.”
Doughty admires Corsentino’s tenacity and attention to detail when it comes to improving her game. As a coach, Doughty tries to help Corsentino improve in any way she can, especially defensively.
“She was just looking to learn as best she could and really wants to improve on the defensive end. There were a few times where we played offense/defense, and she was in on offense and not in on defense. And she said to me, “Next year, I’m not going to be part of that,” said Doughty.
Corsentino was known for her offensive game in high school, as she became the all-time leading 3-point scorer at Rumson-Fair Haven High School. She particularly specialized in making long-range threes, as well as catch-and-shoot attempts, and earned the Shore Sports Network Player of the Year award for her efforts.
Despite her offensive pedigree, Doughty believes there is room for growth, particularly pertaining to Corsentino’s shot selection.
“When coming in from high school, a bad shot by you is better than a shot by anyone else, and that’s where [Corsentino] needed to grow the most this year. Basketball is all about decision making and making the right decision,” said Doughty, “Hopefully she can continue to grow in that area of knowing when to score, knowing when to pass and become more comfortable in knowing everything that we’re doing on the defensive end.”
The MAAC conference tournament was a valuable experience for Corsentino, as she logged 16 minutes in Marist’s first round matchup against Mount Saint Mary’s in the MAAC Tournament.
“The stage was bigger, our season was going to end if we lost,” said Corsentino, “So our passion grew and the intensity rose”.
Corsentino saw first-hand the level of play that would be required to succeed in the MAAC tournament. She impressed the Marist coaching staff and coach Doughty with her fiery competitiveness during the tournament.
“Julia loves the big moment. [The MAAC Tournament] was not anything that intimidated her. Julia loves any competitive environment, and she doesn’t shy away from it,” said Doughty.
While the Red Foxes fell short in their pursuit of the MAAC Championship, that has not deterred Corsentino’s confidence as she advances in her career. Looking forward, she is now preparing to take on a larger role on a team that finished eighth in the MAAC in scoring this past season.
“Her role is going to continue to increase. She’s someone who should compete for a starting spot next year, if not a key role player off the bench. She’ll continue to grow and play more and more for us. She’s someone that at the time she’s a senior, she could be an all-conference player,” said Doughty
The Red Foxes have been impressed by Corsentino thus far and will look to lean on her moving forward, as they expect her to take big strides in her development in the coming seasons.
Edited by Luke Sassa
Graphic from Cara Lacey; Photos from Marist Athletics
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