Aisha Faulkner/The Mirror
Home is where the wins are for the Fairfield University Women’s Basketball team. The squad is currently undefeated at Alumni Hall in the 2011-2012 season and have not dropped a game on campus since January 16, 2011!
“The girls have done just a great job here at home,” said fifth-year head coach Joe Frager. “If you want to be a successful team and challenge the upper echelon of the league at the end of the year you have to protect your home floor and we’ve done that so far.”
Nevertheless, the Stags have been successful wherever they play this year. They are currently tied atop the MAAC standings with an 11-1 record while riding a seven game win streak.
In fact, Fairfield has only suffered losses to the national powerhouse UCONN Huskies and the first-place Red Foxes in their last 17 games.
“I think if you asked a lot of people before the season started if this group would be 11-1, I don’t think you would’ve gotten too many takers,” said Frager. “I think we showed a great deal of character a great deal of heart so far, I’m really proud of where we are so far.”
As surprising as this team has been this year, it is equally shocking as to one of the reasons why. The Stags have seen the emergence of sophomore Alexys Vazquez, who last year only hit 8 three pointers. This year she has statistically become the best long-range shooter in the nation!
“She’s got really good shooting form; she can really shoot the ball, but I think confidence has gotten in to her once she settled into her starting role,” said Frager. “That’s an offense we’re working on. Don’t execute for 25 seconds, throw it to Lex and let her shoot it from 28 feet.”
“I don’t really think about that. I just make sure we get the win and try to hit all the shots I take,” said Vasquez. She is currently shooting an unheard of 50 percent from behind the arc.
The squad is going to need her to continue at a similar rate as they embark on their most challenging part of the season so far. The Super Bowl may be over, but the Stags are still waiting to play their biggest game of the regular season as they take on Marist for first place on Friday night.
“I definitely think they are looking forward to that…we just need to understand it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be a grind,” said Frager. “It’s a tough stretch but as a coach I’m happy we’ve taken care of business to date.”
They will try to adopt the New York Giants’ old motto and become ‘Road Warriors’ as they play five of their last six games away from home.
“That’s kind of tough, I wasn’t real thrilled when I saw that when the schedule came out, but it is what it is,” said Frager.
The Stags will try and take down the ‘Giants’ of the MAAC in the six-straight MAAC Champions Marist. Frager and the Stags know that if they want to end the Red Foxes streak, they are going to have to find wins away from the comforts of home.
“If we aspire to do really special things, we’ve got to play tough on the road,” said Frager.
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