After a quick start to conference play, the women’s basketball team has seen injuries and losses mounting following a recent slide. A fourth straight loss at Manhattan on Monday afternoon dropped the Stags to 8-9 overall and 2-4 in the MAAC.
Senior forward Tara Flaherty returned to the lineup against Manhattan after missing the previous four weeks of the season with an ankle injury. Her return boosts a squad that had been playing with five starters and only one sub for the majority of the late December and early January games. Sophomore guard Sarah Paulus tore her ACL early in the season and senior guard Lauren Tucker has been recently sidelined with back problems.
“Having Tara back gives us a little emotional lift,” said head coach Joe Frager in a radio interview with WVOF’s John Cummings following the game. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get some more out of her in the game against Rider.”
Flaherty scored six points to go with two assists and a steal in 16 minutes. Fellow senior Stephanie Geehan lead the team in scoring with 17 points while securing 15 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season. But after a taking a lead early in the second half, Fairfield faded down the stretch and Manhattan ended the game on a 19-6 run.
The Stags needed a lift after a disappointing loss to Niagara on Saturday afternoon.
“Tough loss. I thought Niagara played us tough,” Frager said. “I’m proud of the way we battled back. We showed some resolve. They did a great job on the defensive end of the floor and when your offense doesn’t score, that puts a lot more pressure on your defense. This loss hurts.”
Fairfield narrowly lost 52-49 after a controversial no call as the Stags ran their final offensive possession.
“I was surprised that the whistle didn’t blow. Shocked would be the best way to put it,” said Frager. “But that one play didn’t impact the game.”
Sophomore guard Desiree Pina had 22 of Fairfield’s 49 points in the game and sophomore forward Taryn Johnson added 11.
“(Pina) was gutsy,” Frager said. “She’s got a tremendous amount of heart. She wanted the ball in the second half and found a way to find the basket.”
Both Pina and Johnson came up with some big plays throughout the game, but fell just a little short.
“Team-wise were doing well,” said Pina. “At the start of the game we were fine, but we went through a tough stretch. Me and Taryn are both really competitive.”
But despite the recent mid-season slump, Frager’s goal has always been to have his teams playing their best basketball at the end of the season.
“It’s a long season and there’s a lot of basketball left,” Frager told WVOF after the Manhattan loss. “Last time I checked, this is mid-major basketball and in mid-major basketball only one team makes the tournament, and that’s the team that wins the three games.”
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