Junior guard Sabra Wrice used a record performance to help the Stags clinch at least a fourth place finish in the MAAC.
On Saturday, Fairfield had a chance to take down Iona, a team one game ahead of them in the MAAC.
A win would have given them a good chance for second place, while a loss would leave them in fourth.
The Stags fell short, losing 59-47. Fairfield struggled to get their offense started and never looked in sync with each other.
“I think people were trying to get free on their own and not really using each other,” said Head Coach Dianne Nolan.
“I think we lost some opportunities when we had them.”
Fairfield was not able to push the ball and use their transition game as well as they needed to in order to win. The Stags were outscored 18-9 in points off turnovers, a category they normally win.
“I thought they tried to get back fast, and I think we looked unsure coming down in transition, who was taking what lane. I thought Iona did a good job of trying to get back and disrupting us,” said Nolan.
Not only did the Stags struggle in the regular flow of the game, but also shooting foul shots.
Fairfield shot a miniscule 13-for-28, for 46.4 percent from the charity stripe.
Neither the players nor the coaches could explain it.
“I have no idea. I wish I knew that answer. We shoot them in practice every day. I think it just became a head game,” said Nolan
Sophomore forward Baendu Lowenthal, who scored 10 points and came up with two steals, agreed.
“We’ve been shooting them ever since we were little. I think most of it is mental when it comes to foul shots,” she said.
Sabra Wrice ’08 led the team with 14 points, but was only 3-for-14 from the field. She also re-injured her bruised hand during the contest.
However, it did not hold her out of the next game, a 74-57 win over Siena.
It’s a good thing too, because Wrice had a record night.
She needed 19 points to become the 21st player in Fairfield women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 points for her career.
It only took her one half to score the 19 with the shot coming on a jumper with a minute left.
But she wasn’t done yet.
She continued to have the hot hand and poured in another 17 in the second half to set a single-game record high of 36 points, passing Tricia Stacca’s 17-year-old mark of 35.
Yet, more important to the players was ending their two-game slide and getting a win for the class of 2007 in their last home game.
Seniors Cara Murphy, Elise Young, and Candice Lindsay all played their last official home game. However, they will return to the Arena for the MAAC tournament.
“It’s funny because we’ve played well in the Arena this year. Murph reminded me of it, it’s not actually our last game, that we’re coming back here,” said Nolan
The seniors were honored with a special ceremony before the game and all three were in the starting lineup.
Murphy was sentimental about leaving, but enjoyed her time with the team.
“Just our whole team, we’re like a family here, and I’m really going to miss the girls and the coaches,” she said.
“We do everything together and that’s going to be a big part of my life missing. But I’m going to come back and visit.”
“I thought it was a good way for the class of ’07 to go out. They’re really a great bunch,” said Nolan.
The Stags now sit at 14-13 overall and 10-6 in the MAAC, where they are guaranteed to finish in at least fourth place.
“I think [the win is] very important and makes us that much more confidant. We always come in with a lot more energy in the MAAC tournaments; I mean that’s our goal for the entire season. If we can get that winning season beforehand, I think we can really feed off that in the MAAC,” Murphy said.
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