The regular season came down to its final weekend of games, but each team has a chance to determine their own destiny going into the MAAC conference tournament. But despite perhaps the best game yet from freshman point guard Megan Caskin, Fairfield fell to Loyola Feb 25 on Senior Night – a loss that dropped the Stags into the No.8 seed in the MAAC tournament, which begins March 2 in Albany, N.Y.
The Stags (10-17, 7-11 MAAC) will face seventh-seeded Siena, in the first round of a single-game elimination contest on March 2 in Albany, N.Y. Siena is 11-16 overall and 7-11 in the conference. Fairfield split the meetings against Siena during the regular season, both teams winning on their home court.
The Stags won in overtime 71-69 on Feb.17 in one of their best games this season, as five players scored in double figures while the team held the Saints to 35 percent shooting for the game.
At season’s end the Stags were in a three way tie along with Manhattan and Siena for the sixth seed in the tournament. But the Stags lost both meetings with Manhattan during the regular season and Siena won by a larger margin, 70-64, in their win at home on Jan.14.
The Stags ended the regular season losing to Marist, 82-54, on the road Feb. 23 and to Loyola. The team shot better than 40 percent from the field for both games playing against the two of the top three teams in the conference.
“I thought we had good energy in the game, and we are excited for the MAAC tournament,” Murphy said after the Loyola game. “We hung with Loyola throughout the game and they are at the top of the conference.”
Baendu Lowenthal, ’09 named to the All-MAAC rookie team, qualifies her to be a finalist for Rookie of the Year in the conference. Lowenthal averaged just over ten points and five rebounds in regular season play.
She was joined against Loyola by Caskin and fellow freshman Shyrell Moore as young players who contributed significantly.
Caskin played a career-high 31 minutes and had five assits.
Sabra Wrice ’08 named to the All-MAAC second team is the Stags leading scorer with 13 points a game. Lowenthal and Wrice will represent Fairfield as elite players in the conference entering the MAAC tournament.
“I thought we had great intensity in our game against Loyola, but we just got beat by a veteran team,” said head coach Dianne Nolan. “If we play as intense as we did in this game, then we can do damage in the tournament.”
Ivana Podrug ’06 and Clare Faurote ’06 were honored for their four years as Fairfield athletes on Feb. 25th playing in their last game at Bridgeport Arena at Harbor Yard.
“It was fun playing with Ivana and Clare since we haven’t gotten to play together a lot this season,” said Murphy. “It was great to play with them and I think that it helped us to stay competitive.”
Murphy, who will graudate this year, will be back next year to get her master’s degree in management and play her fourth season as a Stag after sitting out last year as a medical redshirt.
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