The women’s basketball team took down a familiar foe in its first game of the MAAC Tournament.
Fairfield had faced Siena in the previous three tournaments and the Saints ended the Stags’ season last year with a last second three-pointer. Fairfield split this year’s regular season series, winning by three at home, but losing by six at Siena.
“I’m not going to lie and say we didn’t think about it [last season’s loss to Siena in the tournament], but we’re worried about the next game,” said Meka Werts ’08.
But, the third-seeded Stags got their revenge when it counted most, beating the sixth-seeded Siena 67-52 in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals.
“I was pleased with our play,” said Head Coach Joe Frager. “They are a difficult matchup for us. We knew coming in that it would be difficult.”
The game was close early on as Fairfield and Iona traded places with the lead. With 6:26 left in the first half, a Werts three-pointer gave the Stags the lead for good.
Werts came off the bench and scored a game-high 18 points, 16 of which came off shots behind the arc.
“I’m extremely proud of her,” said Frager. “She got a lot of her points in the flow of the offense, which we like.”
Werts, whose playing time has fluctuated this season, said she is always ready to provide a spark off the bench.
“It’s not hard,” she said. “Every game, I’m ready to play.”
The Stags’ offense was led by junior guard Megan Caskin, who recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 assists.
Caskin has thrived slowing the ball in the halfcourt offense. Last year the Stags pushed the ball in transition, but this season they have settled down and run plays. Caskin boasts a 1.69 turnover-to-assist ratio for the season. In the game against Siena, Caskin did not turn the ball over the entire game.
Fairfield won despite receiving only seven points from leading scorer Sabra Wrice ’08. However, Baendu Lowenthal ’09 had 16 points despite being limited by fouls.
The Stags’ defense did its job in containing MAAC-leading scorer Laura Menty, who in her two previous games against the Stags had scored 59 points total. On Friday’s game, she had 11.
“You can’t shut a player like her down,” said Frager. “We tried to keep a body on her at all times, tried to prevent her baseline shoulder move and tried to bring a double-team on her.”
Stephanie Geehan ’10, out with an illness for the previous two Siena games, helped to defend Menty as well. While she is still working her way back into the rotation, she scored six points while pulling down six rebounds and blocking four shots.
However, Fairfield limited the entire Siena team, not just Menty. The Saints shot 30.6 percent from the floor for the game.
“I thought we played solid in our halfcourt defense,” said Frager.
Fairfield also executed well offensively.
“We did a nice job of screening and we were very good at utilizing those screens,” said Frager. “Fortunately, we converted on our open looks.”
The Stags will look to continue their success against second-seeded Iona at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Fairfield lost both games to the Gaels in the regular season. The first was a 64-57 loss at Harbor Yard. The Stags then went to Iona and lost in triple-overtime, 87-78.
However, the players are confident.
“Oh yeah,” said Caskin on if Fairfield is ready for Iona. “It’s going to be a tough game though.”
Check back at fairfieldmirror.com and mirrorsports.blogspot.com throughout the MAAC Tournament for updates on both the men’s and women’s games.
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