The Fairfield University women’s basketball program, lead by coach Joe Frager, returned to the court on Tuesday, Nov. 5 to begin the 2019-20 season with a non-conference game at Temple University.
They come off of a losing 2018-19 season, going 11-20 overall, with a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record of 7-11. Disappointingly, the Stags fell to the Owls 77-59.
Lou Lopez-Senechal ‘22 made waves in the pre-season, as she was named to the Preseason All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Second Team by the league’s coaches.
Additionally, she was the first MAAC Rookie of the Year that the program had seen in 15 years. The sophomore lived up to her reputation, and led her team in points against Temple, collecting 15.
Lopez-Senechal was responsible for 11 points for the Stags in the first quarter, and was credited for 11 of Fairfield’s first 15. She was joined in the double-digits by offensive dynamos Rachel Hakes ’22 and Katie Armstrong ’20 when Hakes tallied 13 and Armstrong had 11 points of her own. Hakes also contributed eight helpers, which was a new game high for her while Sam Kramer ’20 had five assists.
The first quarter provided false hope for the Stags, as they narrowly came out on top 20-18 at the whistle when Andrea Hernangomez ’22 sunk a layup in the paint putting her team in the forefront.
Temple took hold of the next quarter, outscoring Fairfield twofold 14-7. It was in those ten minutes where the home-team established a 32-27 lead that Fairfield would never surmount.
Although during the period, Armstrong kept the Stags alive with a three-pointer that evened the score at 27, a five-point run by Temple in the last 45 seconds put Fairfield behind 32-27 at halftime.
From that point on, the Stags were at a downward trajectory that never turned up. The box scores in the last two quarters were 29-18 and 16-14 respectively both in favor of the host and after 40 minutes, Temple would take the win in a 77-59 decision.
The Stags are slated to play their second of three away games at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ on Saturday, Nov. 9. After that they will travel to Brooklyn, NY to challenge Long Island University on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
They will return to the George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall for their home-opener on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2:00 p.m. to face Dartmouth College.
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