The Stags are rolling now.
Coming into the opening MAAC weekend, the Fairfield women’s basketball team was 3-5 overall and looking for consistency.
Two games and one weekend later, the Stags sit at 5-5 overall (2-0 MAAC) and are tied for first place in the MAAC with Marist and Iona.
On Friday night Fairfield easily dispatched Niagara, 77-63. Then, on Sunday afternoon, the Stags came from behind to win again, this time against Canisius 77-66, for their third straight victory.
“The weekend was awesome,” said Head Coach Dianne Nolan.
Led by guard Megan Caskin ’09, Fairfield was able to distribute the ball effectively and several different players stepped up each night.
Sabra Wrice ’08 was one player who saw her scoring rise; she averaged 17 points per game over the weekend along with 3.5 assists.
Wrice earned MAAC Player of the Week in recognition of her stellar play on both ends of the court.
Fellow junior guard Meka Werts also increased her numbers, putting up 15.5 points per game.
Not only have the starters come through, but also the role players. Over 33 percent of the Stag’s scoring came from players who started the game riding the pine.
“Everyone stepped up and we found other ways to be successful,” said Nolan.
But Nolan utilized her bench for more than just scoring. Freshman forward Stephanie Geehan averaged 7.5 rebounds per game despite playing in only 32 total minutes.
However, it wasn’t just the post players who were able to contribute on the boards, as guards Werts and Wrice pulled down seven each game.
“It’s a huge factor, with our defense, to allow [our opponent] only one shot. Plus, the defensive rebounds start our fast break,” said Nolan.
Defense was another strong point for the Stags as it has been all season. They held both teams to 36 percent shooting overall and applied pressure to the opposing offenses.
Wrice and Werts were again leading the way with Wrice stripping the ball six times alone against Canisius while Werts had three steals against Niagara.
Despite playing well enough for the victory in both games, they reached their conclusion in two vastly different ways, proving the Stags are equally adept at defending a lead as well as coming from behind to take one.
The first game against Niagara was never even a question as the Stags jumped out to a 15-0 lead and shot nearly 50 percent from the floor.
“We came out so focused and hit everything, inside-outside. We also did a nice job defensively,” Nolan said.
Against Canisius, Fairfield fell behind early and trailed 50-41 with only 13 minutes left in the game. However, the Stags were able to go on a 12-0 run in the next two minutes and took the lead for good with 10:25 left to play.
“We knew that Canisius was a first half team, but we never lost our composure,” said Nolan.
At 2-0, the Stags have a lot to build on as they continue conference play. Their next opponent will be UC Irvine on Dec. 28 in California.
Fairfield returns home on Jan. 6 at Alumni Hall against MAAC opponent Marist.
Women’s Report Card: Empire State Edition By Chris Simmons ‘ Keith Connors
Ball Handling: B Sophomore Megan Caskin has become more comfortable running the point and has been executing the offense well. She averaged six assists over the weekend with only three turnovers per game. However, the Stags as a team turned the ball over an average of 19 times each game.
Defense: B+ The Stags held both Canisius and Niagara under 40 percent shooting in both games, yet they did it somewhat inconsistently. Canisius shot over 50 percent in one half before the Stags buckled down to finish out the game. Niagara also had a half where they were able to score. Overall, Fairfield was efficient, but needs to find a more consistent defense.
Rebounding: A- Fairfield was able to out rebound both opponents by a wide margin. The game against Niagara was impressive, with a gap of 53-35 and against Canisius the Stags were up 49-40 on the boards. Even more notable was how much the backcourt was involved. Sabra Wrice and Meka Werts ’08 both pulled down seven boards each game.
Overall: A- A 2-0 start in the MAAC puts the Stags in a great position to continue their success. Fairfield was able to sweep the Western New York schools for the first time since the 2001-2002 season.
While the season still has a long way to go before its conclusion, Fairfield has put itself in a position that affords it some leeway. The wins did not come against weak opponents either. Niagara is 6-4 overall while Canisius is 6-3 overall and was picked to finish third in the MAAC in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll. If Fairfield can keep playing this well, they should be one of the top teams in their conference.
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