First place, third place, fifth place, and even last place are still to be decided in the MAAC conference standings, as the season enters its last weekend of regular season games.
The Fairfield women’s basketball team is in a four-way tie for fifth place in the conference tournament, after beating Siena College 71-69 in overtime on Feb. 17 and losing to Manhattan College 58-49 on Feb. 20, both at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The Stags are now 10-15 overall and have dropped to 7-9 in the conference.
The Stags had five players in double figures in their win against Siena, shooting 40 percent from the field during regulation and better than 80 percent during overtime. The Stags missed only one field goal attempt in overtime, as the team scored 16 points in the extra five minutes to beat the Saints. Fairfield held Siena to 35 percent shooting from the field for the game and 50 percent during overtime.
Sabra Wrice ’08 was the only player to score in double figures, with 13 points in the loss to Manhattan, as the team shot less than 30 percent from the field for the game. Manhattan shot over 50 percent from the field, converting on eight more field goals than the Stags in 22 fewer shot attempts.
“We didn’t have the balanced scoring that we usually have in our games,” said Head Coach Dianne Nolan. “We just have to keep working hard and keep our heads about it as we go into the tournament.”
There is a split between Iona and Loyola (Md.) for the third place, in addition to the four-team tie for fifth place. There is a potential struggle for first place between Marist and Canisius, while Niagara and Rider fight to not have the worst record in the conference
The Stags could finish as high as fifth in the conference standings or end up as low as the eighth seed in the tournament following the weekend events. The team split the regular season series with Siena, swept the season against Saint Peter’s, and lost both games to Manhattan.
“We need to clear our heads and forget everything else that is going on right now,” said Wrice about the upcoming MAAC conference tournament. “We just have to play like we have nothing to lose because all we will have left is the MAAC tournament and that’s it.”
Marist is at the top of the conference with Canisius lingering right behind in second place. The two are set apart from the rest of the conference. Iona and Loyola are leading the middle of the pack; both are 11-5 and fighting for the third seed. But it is definite that these teams will be the top four seeds in the conference tournament starting March 2 in Albany, N.Y.. The top four seeded teams in the conference receive a first-round bye, while the top-seeded team plays gets a double bye to the semi-finals.
Fairfield plays Marist and Loyola in their next two games, and needs to win both games in order to better their chances for the fifth seed.
A win at Marist will force the Red Foxes to beat Rider in their following game and put added pressure on Canisius to beat Siena and Niagara in their last two games.
Every game is crucial from this point since all the teams in the conference can affect the standings with a win or a loss this weekend.
“We are always looking ahead to the next game, and there is a good chance that we can see Marist early in the tournament,” said Nolan.
Fairfield’s next game is against Marist on Feb. 23.
The Stags’ final game will be on Sat., Feb. 25 against Loyola at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
This game is the first of a double header with the men’s team, which will be playing Marist as part of fan appreciation night.
In celebration of senior night and in an effort to boost attendance, all seniors will be admitted to the Arena for free.
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