Peter Caty/The Mirror
While the women’s basketball team won its eighth-straight game on Sunday, the student section sat empty. The band played while a few small children raced up the wooden steps. A few Sodexo workers sat in the corner during a break from the snack bar.
This is nothing new for the women’s team. While the men’s team plays to a packed house on campus, the women typically only fill the side bleachers. Even during Thanksgiving break, the men drew 1,743 fans. The largest crowd for the women this season at Alumni was 532 fans.
‘We’re doing everything we can to take care of our business,’ said head coach Joe Frager. ‘We’ve won eight games in a row. And sure, we’d love to have some more students to come out.
‘It would mean a lot to us. I know the girls would appreciate it.’
This weekend, students will have a chance to show their support. Marist comes to Alumni Hall on Thursday night with a 21-3 overall record and a 12-2 record in the MAAC. Fairfield enters with a 16-8 overall record and an 11-2 record in the MAAC. The winner will hold the inside track for the top seed in the conference tournament.
The Stags already handed the Red Foxes a loss at Marist in front of 2,205 hostile fans. Marist was ranked No. 20 in the nation at the time.
Then on Saturday, seniors Baendu Lowenthal, Lauren Groom, Shireyll Moore and Megan Caskin will be honored before the game against Canisius (18-6 overall, 10-3 MAAC).
If Fairfield emerges from the weekend unscathed, it has a shot at running the table and winning the regular season title. Then the Stags would at least be assured a WNIT bid. Of course, earning the top seed also makes the NCAAs seem within reach.
But first, the Stags need to take care of business in what is probably the biggest regular season game in the MAAC. A vocal student section would give the Stags a home-court advantage which they haven’t enjoyed this season.
‘It’s nice to play in Alumni,’ said senior forward Lowenthal. ‘It’s easier for the students to come and we hope they come out on Thursday for Pack the House. You can put that in bold.’
If supporting the team isn’t reason enough, here are several others:
Thursday against Marist
Get money: All students are eligible to win a $500 American Express gift card. That’s like 30 thirties of Keystone.
Free T-shirts: The first 200 students will receive a ‘Frager Fanatic’ T-shirt. Not quite ‘Wacko for Flacco’ but close enough. I only hope that it features a giant picture of Frager. But after the ‘Cooley and the Gang’ T-shirt, I’m preparing myself for disappointment.
It’s Thursday night: Let’s be honest, what else are you going to do? You’re probably going to drink and you might as well go yell at the refs.
Saturday against Canisius
Pink Zone: Fans who wear pink will receive a discount of $2 and receive a voucher for a free ticket to a later game. Frager has also named breast cancer survivor Andrea
Borgognone, the aunt of assistant coach Laura Scinto, as an honorary coach for the game. A silent auction will also be held to raise money. So, if you don’t go to this game, you’re supporting cancer. Way to go.
Senior Day: Say farewell to seniors Lowenthal, Caskin, Moore and Groom, all of whom are significant contributors to the team.
It’s Friday night: Get drunk and be somebody by going to a basketball game.
The men play after: Stick around and maybe you’ll wind up on ESPN2 as the men play a nationally televised game.
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