The James J. McCann Recreation Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. is regarded as the toughest venue in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for teams to play at.
Most recently, Loyola (MD) head coach Jimmy Pastos and Manhattan head coach Barry Rohrssen have used their postgame press conferences to praise Marist's home court while stressing how fortunate it was to escape with wins, even considering the Red Foxes' rebuilding year.
After a brief history lesson, Pastos revealed where he was going with his opening statement.
"To come out of this building which is, I think, the toughest place in the league to play...the loudness, the packed—the people, the fans and the students and the band, combined with everything else, I think this is the hardest place to play," he said on Jan. 25.
Rohrssen issued the same sentiment in fewer words Feb. 2 when the Jaspers came to town.
The Red Foxes are currently in a freefall to the tune of a six-game losing streak, stemming from a monumental collapse when arch-rival Siena visited Jan. 15, coming back from a 15-point second half deficit to force overtime and eventually win, but for the team picked to finish last in the MAAC to even have such a lead was unthinkable.
The game prior, they defeated current second place Niagara handily by 20 points. It was the Purple Eagles' first conference loss.
McCann's capacity is 3,200, with the most recent expansion coming in January 2006. Bleachers were installed behind each basket, and the seating behind the south basket (pictured in front above) serves as the student section where the band, cheerleaders, and dance team all sit as well.
Coming into the 2008-2009 season, Marist's in-conference record the last three years was better than any other team in the MAAC. At 31-7, the next most successful team was Siena, which was 30-11 in-conference at home.
The Marist women have only lost three times at home in the last four seasons.
The following are memorable moments the McCann Center has witnessed over the years:
- A near upset of eventual champion Villanova in 1984. The Red Foxes led for most of the game, but ultimately lost 57-51.
- A 64-55 win over Farleigh Dickinson to win the ECAC Metro Conference on March 7, 1987, sending Marist to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
- Rik Smits' final game, March 3, 1988, where he scored a then-school record 45 points, matching his uniform number.
- February 27, 2000, Sean Kennedy hit a half-court buzzer beater to give Marist a 70-67 win over Siena on the final day of the regular season.
- A 98-88 overtime win against Siena on Feb. 24, 2007. The game was televised on ESPN2 and Marist's sellout crowd participated in a "whiteout." The win clinched the Red Foxes' first outright MAAC regular-season championship.
The local supporters always come out to support the basketball teams, but the student section is crucial to the Red Foxes' success. The drunken supporters stop at nothing to help their team to victory.
The devoted students always do their "homework," with my personal favorite coming a few seasons back. Two Niagara players were arrested and charged with assault and battery several months before the seasons, but were allowed to stay on the team. When they visited McCann, any foul committed prompted a "That's A-SSAULT!" chant.
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